A worker at Liquor World, located at 1928 Highway 45 North, has been arrested after allegedly faking an armed robbery, according to a Columbus Police Department.
Jaimin L. Patel, 24, of Columbus, was arrested Friday and charged with conspiracy to commit the crime of robbery and false reporting of a crime, according to the release.
Columbus Police Department officers responded to Liquor World just before 8 p.m. on Jan. 22, the release said. Patel allegedly said an armed robber entered the back of the store while empty boxes were being taken outside to a trash container.
Officers searched the area but were unable to find anybody.
Police believe more than one person was involved, and investigators are continuing to work the case, Chief Joseph Daughtry said in the release.
“We believe we have a strong motive for the staged incident that involves an application for a ‘U visa’ issued by the federal government for victims of crime,” Daughtry said.
Visas are designations that define how long and under what conditions non-American citizens can stay in the country.
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website, a U visa 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 the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.”
These sorts of false calls are dangerous and tie up valuable resources, Daughtry said.
“A staged robbery takes planning, putting many people at risk when the call goes out,” Daughtry said in the release. “Innocent civilians, employees and police officers have been injured in similar instances. We respond to all armed robbery calls as ‘real’ calls and take a staged call like this seriously.”
Peter Imes is publisher of The Dispatch. You can email him at [email protected].
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