For long, I thought these Gujjus were a law abiding people, content to work in Dunkin Donuts, motels and newsstands, make their weekly trips to the Swaminarayan Mandir and excitedly yell Jai Shri Ram upon seeing another Indian.

Hell, shows how little I know.

Lately, some Patels have been up to all sorts of mischief and running foul of the American law with crazy schemes involving kidnapping, immigration fraud etc.

Two Patels in the northeast have recently gotten into big trouble.

* Jayen Patel of Southampton, PA, was sentenced to five years in the slammer for a madcap scheme of trying to hire someone he believed was a white supremacist to kidnap a New Jersey woman and her child.

Jayen Patel previously pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging him with one count of soliciting an individual to aid in a kidnapping.

* Naranjan Patel, 53, formerly of South Plainfield, NJ, fled to India to avoid spending over three years in prison following a federal immigration fraud conviction but has has been extradited from Mera Bharat Mahaan to face the music.

Naranjan Patel was convicted in June 2007 for helping ineligible aliens fraudulently file for legal residency to remain in the U.S. Patel was sentenced to 37 months in prison in October 2007 but fled to India before his surrender date of Nov. 23, 2007.

Patel was brought back to the U.S. from India on July 5 and will serve the 37-month sentence imposed for those crimes.

By the way, do they serve Dhokla in American prisons? Jai Shri Ram! 😉

Related Content:
Jayen Patel sentenced to five years in prison
Naranjan Patel extradited from India after fleeing the U.S. to avoid prison

  Jayen Patel, Naranjan Patel