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Indian couple plead guilty for aiding illegal immigrant
Rajesh Patel faces up to five years in prison and Avanibahen Patel faces up to six months imprisonment.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Thu, 16, Oct 2025
- 00:14 EDT
- 18
Representative image / Pexels
Indian-origin couple Rajesh N. Patel, 51, and Avanibahen Patel, 44 pled guilty to knowingly transporting an illegal alien and unlawful employment of aliens.
The US Attorney's office noted in a statement that the couple has been charged for aiding Prakash Makwana, 30, an Indian Citizen unlawfully residing in Ronceverte, West Virginia. Makwana was employed at a business owned by the Patels from November 2020 to September 2024. Patels accepted that they had hired Makwana in spite of having knowledge of his immigration status.
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The case against Patels came up after Makwana was arrested and he subsequently plead guilty in May 2024 for aggravated identity theft and conspiring to marry a US citizen in order to obtain a Green Card.
"Rajesh N. Patel admitted that he knew of the marriage fraud conspiracy and aided and abetted it by making cash payments to Makwana’s co-conspirators", said the US Attorney's Office in a statement.
Rajesh N. Patel is set to be sentenced on January 9, 2026, and could face up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Avanibahen Patel is scheduled for sentencing on January 5, 2026, and could face up to six months in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $3,000.
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