Wife of embattled Louisiana police chief charged in immigration visa
fraud scheme also arrested
[July 18, 2025]
By SARA CLINE and JIM MUSTIAN
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The wife of a Louisiana police chief, who
earlier this week was charged for his alleged role in a mass immigration
visa fraud scheme, has also been arrested, state police said Thursday.
Alison Doyle, a former employee of the small city of Oakdale, has been
charged with two counts of malfeasance in office. State police allege
that Doyle conspired with local business owner Chandrakant “Lala” Patel,
who authorities say was a central figure in the visa fraud operation, to
“manipulate the bidding process” for two city owned properties.
It is unclear if Doyle's alleged crime is at all related to the area's
immigration visa fraud. However, Both Doyle's husband and Patel were
among the five people arrested this week for their roles in a nearly
decade-long plot that involved small-town police chiefs being paid
$5,000 in exchange for filing false police reports that named hundreds
of noncitizens as victims of armed robberies.
The fabricated police reports would be sold to immigrants who would use
them to apply for a special visa program that can give some crime
victims and their families a pathway to U.S. citizenship.
As a result of the sweeping federal investigation, Patel and Oakdale
police Chief Chad Doyle were arrested, along with Forest Hill Police
Chief Glynn Dixon, former Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea and Michael
“Freck” Slaney, a marshal in Oakdale.
Doyle and Slaney were appointed defense attorneys Thursday who did not
immediately return messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Patel told court officials he had retained counsel, but it was not clear
from court records who would represent him.
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When asked about the extent of the fraud on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney
Alexander Van Hook said that there were “hundreds of names”
specifically for visas that were approved.
It remains unclear what, if anything, will happen to the migrants
accused of obtaining the fraudulent visas. Prosecutors have declined
to say whether they might face charges, and the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security said only that the agency is “committed to
protecting the integrity of the immigration system from abuse and
holding accountable those who exploit it.”
The special visas, dubbed a U visa, are set aside for people who are
victims of certain crimes and who “are helpful to law enforcement or
government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal
activity,” based on a description of the program published by the
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
About 10,000 people got such visas in the 12-month period that ended
Sept. 30, 2022, which was the most recent period for which the
Homeland Security Department has published data.
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Mustian reported from New York.
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