Federal authorities in Louisiana have arrested two serving police chiefs, a former police chief, a city marshal, and a civilian business owner on charges stemming from visa fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana reported Wednesday (July 16, 2025).

Officers and former officers indicted by a Louisiana grand jury and arrested include:

• Glynn Dixon, chief of the Forest Hills Police Department. Dixon faces charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud and visa fraud.

• Chad Doyle, chief of the Oakdale Police Department. Doyle faces charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, visa fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering.

• Tebo Onishea, former chief of the Glenmora Police Department. Onishea faces charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, visa fraud, and mail fraud.

• Michael Slaney, marshal of the Ward 5 Marshal’s Office in Oakdale. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, visa fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering.

Also arrested was Chandrakant Patel, a business owner. Patel faces charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, bribery, mail fraud, and money laundering.

“The indictment alleges that Patel, Doyle, Slaney, Dixon, Onishea, and others, authored, facilitated, produced and authenticated false police reports in several central Louisiana parishes. Each report listed several victims of purported armed robberies in the central Louisiana area and the defendants produced false police reports so that the purported victims of the robberies could apply for U-Visas,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a press release .

“Congress created the U nonimmigrant status (“U-Visa”) with the passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act in October 2000. The legislation was intended to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute crime while also protecting victims of crimes who are willing to help law enforcement authorities in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. Foreign nationals are eligible for a U-Visa if they meet certain criteria, including but not limited to, if they were a victim of qualifying criminal activity that occurred in or violated laws of the U.S., or possessed information about the criminal activity. Qualifying crime victims could apply for U-Visa status by submitting a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status; a Form I-918, Supplement B, U Nonimmigrant Status Certification (“I-918B”) (requires signature of an authorized official of a certifying law enforcement agency confirmation that individual was a victim of a qualifying crime); and evidence to establish each eligibility requirement,” the press release explains.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says, “individuals seeking U-Visas (“aliens”) would contact Patel, or another facilitator who would then contact Patel, to be named as “victims” in police reports alleging that an armed robbery had occurred, so that they could submit applications for U-Visas. The indictment also alleges that aliens paid Patel thousands of dollars to participate, and in exchange, Patel would ask his co-conspirators, including Doyle, Slaney, Dixon, and Onishea, to write false police reports naming the Aliens as victims of alleged armed robberies and provide certification and attestation of U-Visa I-918B supporting documents as representatives of their respective law enforcement agencies.” The crimes were reportedly committed from 2015 to July 15, 2025.

Patel is facing charges of bribery for agreeing to pay an agent of the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office the sum of $5,000 on February 18, 2025, “intending to influence and reward said agent in exchange for a fraudulent police report, the release says. 

“The indictment further alleges that from approximately September 27, 2023 until December 26, 2024, Doyle, Slaney, Dixon, and Onishea did knowingly submit false statements with respect to material facts in immigration applications by signing I-918B forms as certifying officials stating that individuals were cooperating victims of crimes, which statements the defendants knew to be false and that the individuals were never victims of the crimes alleged in the I-918B forms,” the release says. 

In addition, the indictment alleges “that for the purpose of executing the above-described scheme and artifice to defraud, Patel, Doyle, Slaney, Dixon, and Onishea did commit mail fraud by knowingly placing or causing to be placed in an authorized depository for mail matter, to be sent and delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, a private interstate carrier, or a commercial interstate carrier false Form I-918B created and submitted to USCIS,” according to the release.

“Also included in the indictment are money laundering charges and forfeiture allegations against each defendant seeking forfeiture of various bank accounts, real property, and vehicles,” the release says. 

If convicted, the defendants each face a sentence of up to 5 years in prison on the conspiracy charge; up to 10 years on the visa fraud charges; up to 20 years on the mail fraud charge; and Patel faces up to 10 years on the bribery charge. In addition, they could be ordered to pay a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. 

The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John W. Nickel and Danny Siefker.