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www.desitalkchicago.com – that’s all you need to know Cook County Treasurer Honors Indian American Leader In Chicago C ook County Treasurer Maria Pappas recognized an Indian American commu- nity leader with an award during an Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration. Karen Merchant, who helps with settlement of immigrants and refugees, was among 14 people honored with Certificates of Excellence during a ceremony Friday, May 17, at the Cook County Treasurer’s Office in downtown Chicago. “This country was built on immigrants who have a specific identity, language and culture and we’re trying to keep that alive today,” Pappas said at the event, according to a press release from her office. “That’s why our website is in 127 different languages.” Jin Lee, an honorary Cook County deputy trea- surer and director of community relations and business development for the Albany Park Community Center, thanked Pappas for recognizing the honorees. “Treasurer Pappas may be the only official who tries to recognize every Asian American community,” Lee said, adding that he ap- preciated that the Treasurer’s Office provided brochures in multiple Asian languages that help immigrants understand how the prop- erty tax system works. “I believe the Treasurer’s Office is the only one who has provided such an important resource in so many diverse languages,” he said. Merchant volunteers with FOCUS USA and Aga Khan Development Network. She helps connect people with employment, education, health care and other services. By a StaffWriter S ix individuals conspired to stage armed robberies in Chicago and the suburbs so that the purported victims could apply for U.S. immigration visas reserved for certain crime victims, according to an indictment unsealed in federal court in Chicago. PARTH NAYI and KEWONYOUNG allegedly organized and participated in staged armed robberies at restau- rants, coffee shops, liquor stores, and gas stations in Chicago and the suburbs of Lombard, Elmwood Park, St. Charles, Hickory Hills, River Grove, Lake Villa, and South Holland, as well as restaurants in Rayne, La., and Belvi- dere, Tenn. The indictment alleges that BHIKHABHAI PATEL, NILESH PATEL, RAVINABEN PATEL, and RAJNI- KUMAR PATEL arranged with Nayi to be “victims” of the staged robberies so that they could submit applications for U nonimmigrant status (“U-visa”), which is set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in an investigation or prosecution. The indictment alleges that individuals paid Nayi thousands of dollars to participate in the scam. During the staged robberies, individuals acting as robbers bran- dished what appeared to be firearms, approached the purported victims, and demanded money and property, the indictment states. Afterwards, some of the purported victims submitted forms to local law enforcement to obtain certification that they were victims of a qualifying crime and had been or would be helpful in the investiga- tion, the indictment states. Upon receiving certification, some of the purported victims then submitted fraudulent U-visa applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services predicated upon their alleged status as a robbery victim. Nayi, 26, ofWoodridge, Ill., Young, 31, of Mansfield, Ohio, Bhikhabhai Patel, 51, of Elizabethtown, Ky., Nilesh Patel, 32, of Jackson, Tenn., Ravinaben Patel, 23, of Racine, Wis., and Rajnikumar Patel, 32, of Jacksonville, Fla., are charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud. Ravinaben Patel is also charged with an individual count of making a false statement in a visa application. The conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, while the false statement charge against Ravinaben Patel is punishable by up to ten years. The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, RobertW. “Wes”Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in- Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Secu- rity Investigations in Chicago. The government is repre- sented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Moyer and Saqib M. Hussain. The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. By Justice Department Press Release (May 17, 2024) Six Defendants Indicted On Federal Fraud Charge For Allegedly Staging Robberies To Apply For Immigration Visas 16 CITY VIEWS May 24, 2024 Photo:CourtesyCook CountyOffice Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, left, honoring Indian American community leader and activist Karen Merchant with an award during the May 17, 2024, celebration of Asian American Heritage Month at her office in Chicago. NATIONAL AFFAIRS N ewYorker residents and tourists were treated to an afternoon of music, dance, and a free turban tied on their heads which they could take home at Times Square in Manhattan, NYC, on Saturday, May 11, 2024, during the annual Turban Day celebrations organized by TurbanDay.Org. Like every year, the event, which in 2018 won a place in Guinness Book ofWorld Records for the most turbans tied in 8 hours, drew large crowds. “At any given point in time, there were close to 1,000 people present throughout the day,” said NewYork based actor-filmmaker to Desi Talk. Malik said he has been attending the event for more than 3 years and enjoys it immensely. Volunteers were busy tying turbans at more than 40 turban tying stations, telling the receiver of the free tur- bans stories about Sikh religion and culture. The perfor- mances on the live stage and live music attracted many to participate in the Bhangara dance. “The atmosphere was filled with colors and the vibrant music made every- one want to dance,” Malik said, adding volunteers also showed how to take the dance steps. A recent news story by Sgt. 1st Class Neil W. McCabe of Army Reserve Medical Command published by the Defense Visual Information Service, mentioned the featured speaker Sikh-American Army Reserve Lt. Col. Tejdeep Singh Rattan as one of the first soldiers to serve in uniform with his turban and beard. The report also said Rattan spoke about how more Sikhs were taking advantage of the U.S. Army’s expanded policy regarding turbans. TurbanDay Organization began holding the event with an aim to create awareness about the importance of the turban in the Sikh religion and to celebrate Sikh culture. The event has become a tourist attraction in New York City. By Archana Adalja Thousands Of Colorful Turbans Were Tied At Times Square Photos:CourtesyTirlok Malik Expert volunteers in the art of turban tying demonstrating turban tying at the Turban Day celebration at NYC’s Times Square.