Chicago Man Who Staged Fake Armed Robberies for $30K Gets Two Years After Botched Job Turns Deadly
28th October 2026
A federal judge in Chicago sentenced Parth Nayi, 29, of Woodridge, to two years in prison and a $50,000 fine on Thursday for organizing staged armed robberies so the people “robbed” could apply for ‘U visas’ (which are reserved for crime victims who help police), according to the DOJ. Nayi pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
The government says migrants paid Nayi between $5,000 and $30,000 for each fake robbery. He hired the robbers, coached the fake victims on how to report the crime to police, and then helped them apply for the visa, which is open to victims of certain crimes who cooperate with law enforcement and can lead to permanent residence. The staged holdups hit restaurants, liquor stores, gas stations and coffee shops.
One of them went wrong. On July 13, 2023, a “robbery crew” entered Bucktown Food & Liquor in Chicago, and one of the robbers accidentally fired his gun, shooting a 26-year-old clerk in the abdomen, according to CWB Chicago. The clerk survived. The shooting is what began to unravel the operation.