Immigration scam disrupted after months-long investigation, Bacon Co. Sheriff’s Office says

BACON COUNTY, GA (WTOC) - Two people have been arrested and a third subject is still wanted in an immigration scam, according to a social media post by the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office.

On Friday, July 11, 2025, the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office arrested Keshaula Hirabhai Patel (66) on a Special Presentment Bench Warrant issued after a Bacon County Grand Jury returned a true bill indictment against Mr. Patel and two other individuals.

The four-count indictment includes charges of Bribery, False Report of a Crime, and two counts of Making False Statements.

According to the sheriff’s office, the investigation into Patel began several months ago when he allegedly approached a local Sheriff’s Deputy and offered payment to stage a fake home invasion.

The intent was for the staged crime to involve two individuals who were in the United States on temporary passports, so they could falsely claim victim status and apply for a special immigration status.

The deputy immediately reported the offer to Sheriff Batten, who then requested assistance from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the sheriff’s office says.

Working jointly with federal and local investigators, an undercover operation was launched.

Police say Patel paid a deposit to the deputy, with the agreement that the rest of the payment would follow once he received an official report of the fabricated incident.

After staging the crime scene and filing a false report, Patel met again with the deputy and completed the payment.

According to the sheriff’s office, Patel also expressed interest in staging additional incidents in the future.

Although DHS initially assisted with the operation, the post says the agency later declined to pursue prosecution.

Sheriff Batten then consulted with the District Attorney’s Office and directed local investigators to proceed with preparing the case for local prosecution.

I am extremely proud of the hard work that our investigative team put into this case to disrupt this immigration scam.

I had originally hoped that our federal partners would see this case through, but when they exited the investigation, I could not let the case fall by the wayside.

This is not an isolated incident. I’ve spoken with Sheriffs from other counties who report similar activity in their jurisdictions.

Sheriff Batten, Bacon County Sheriff’s Office

On July 22, 2025, a second suspect, Natwarbhai Ambaram Patel (77) was arrested and processed at the Bacon County Jail.

Both individuals received a $100,000 bond and have since been released.

The third subject involved in the case has not yet been arrested as of the date of this release.

The investigation remains active, and the Sheriff’s Office urges anyone with relevant information to come forward.

All individuals arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.