ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – Four of the five people charged in an alleged immigration fraud scheme have now entered guilty pleas:
- Chandrakant “Lala” Patel, Oakdale businessman
- Michael “Freck” Slaney, Former Oakdale City Marshal
- Glynn Dixon, Former Forest Hill Police Chief
- Tebo Onishea, Former Police Chief of Glenmora
According to court records, Glynn Dixon, the former Police Chief of Forest Hill, has a change of plea hearing set for June 4.
Former Oakdale Chief of Police Chad Doyle pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Visa Fraud on May 20 and faces a maximum of 5 years in jail and a fine of no more than $250,000.
On May 29, Oakdale businessman Chandrakant “Lala” Patel pleaded guilty to counts one and 54 from…
Identity theft is the “foundational” fraud upon which many other crimes are built. It involves the unauthorized acquisition and use of a person’s personal identifying information (PII), such as an ID number, Social Security number, or passport details.
- How it works: Fraudsters obtain PII through data breaches, mail theft, or “social engineering” (tricking people into revealing details). Once they have this data, they can open new bank accounts, apply for credit cards or loans, and even receive medical treatment under your name.
- Synthetic Identity Fraud: A sophisticated variation where criminals combine real and fabricated information to create a completely new, “synthetic” person. This is particularly difficult to detect because there is no single victim to report the suspicious activity initially.