OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) – "There is no other way to put it because there are people who are legitimate victims of robbery because of their immigration status, victims of trafficking because of their immigration status," attorney Eric Cardenas said.
- Motel owners face charges after police say they staged a robbery.
- The robbery was an attempt to get a U-Visa.
- Alleged victims can apply for a T-Visa, a visa specifically for human trafficking victims.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Police say Ken Chaudhari, the owner of four metro motels, and his wife Rashmi tried to defraud the government through a staged robbery in 2022.
According to the affidavit, Ken hired an employee of the New Victorian motel to rob and assault Rashmi while she was closing a brow and lash salon, all in an attempt to obtain a U-visa.
A U-visa provides legal status to victims of violent crimes who are helpful to law enforcement due to their immigration status.
"The goal was secure the U visa for one of the other defendants by making the other person a victim of the robbery," said an Omaha FBI special agent Cowell.
The affidavit states a man came in with a gun and told her to give him "all the money" then pushed her to the ground.
"It's really sickening," said Eric Cardenas.
Cardenas, an attorney out of Houston where, according to investigators, Chaudhari has business connections, told me there's a waitlist to get a U-visa, and fraudulent applications harm people who are actually victims.
"There is no other way to put it because there are people who are legitimate victims of robbery because of their immigration status, victims of trafficking because of their immigrations status," Cardenas said.
Here's the twist: now that Chaudhari and his wife are facing charges of exploiting and harming people, it's likely they're ineligible for a U-visa, while their alleged victims can ask for a type of visa set aside for trafficking victims.
"These women should have received resources if they were immigrants letting them know they do have the option for a T visa," Cardenas said.
According to court documents, employees of these brow and lash salons also lived at motels owned by Chaudhari.
Court documents show Rashmi also received a U-visa in Utah in December of 2024 after she reported a sexual groping.
All five defendants remain in custody and will appear back in court Friday.
