Birenkumar “Mike” Patel 
Laxitkumar Patel
BLAIR – On March 9, 2025, at approximately 8:50 p.m., the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported robbery at Monticello EZ Mart, a rural gas station at 3888 State Highway 215 South in the Blair area of Fairfield County. The store owner, Birenkumar Patel, reported that $379 was stolen by a masked suspect who brandished an object presented as a firearm, according to a report by the Sheriff’s office.
The Sheriff’s office said that after an extensive investigation, they determined that the robbery was staged.
On May 14, 2025, after questioning, Birenkumar Patel admitted the incident was orchestrated to allow the clerk, Laxitkumar Patel, to remain in the U.S. by taking advantage of the U-Visa program, which offers deportation relief to victims of certain crimes. Laxitkumar Patel entered the U.S. illegally in September 2024 and faced an immigration hearing in March 2025, according to the report.
Birenkumar Patel has been charged with Criminal Conspiracy. Laxitkumar Patel has been charged with Filing a False Police Report and Criminal Conspiracy and is subject to a federal hold due to his illegal immigration status.
