A Minnesota judge has sentenced Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, the leader of a human smuggling ring, to 10 years in prison after a tragic case in which a family of four from India froze to death while trying to cross the US-Canada border in January 2022. The family died in a blizzard just steps from the U.S. border in Manitoba.
Federal prosecutors had asked for nearly 20 years for Patel, who was found guilty in 2023 along with U.S. driver Steve Anthony Shand. Shand was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison with two years of supervised release. Prosecutors said Patel, also known by the alias “Dirty Harry,” ran a smuggling operation that brought Indian nationals to Canada on student visas before trying to move them illegally into the U.S.
The victims were Jagdish Patel, 39, his wife Vaishaliben, their 11-year-old daughter Vihangi, and 3-year-old son Dharmik. The family was from the village of Dingucha in India’s Gujarat state, the same area where Harshkumar Patel is from. Authorities said the family was not related to the smuggler. The couple had been schoolteachers, and many villagers from Dingucha have tried to migrate abroad in hopes of better lives.
Prosecutors described the horrifying final moments. The father died trying to protect his son’s face from the icy wind. The mother died slumped against a fence, believing safety lay just beyond. Their daughter wore gloves and boots that didn’t fit properly. The wind chill that night was recorded at -36 degrees Fahrenheit (-38 Celsius).
Seven others in the group survived the dangerous walk. Only two reached Shand’s van, which was stuck in snow. One survivor was hospitalized for frostbite and hypothermia. Another said he had never seen snow before.
Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa Kirkpatrick said greed drove Patel’s actions, stating, “It was the defendant’s greed that set in motion the facts that bring us here today.” She said the smugglers knowingly sent 11 people out in deadly cold, with no concern for their safety. “They didn’t care. What they cared about was money,” she added.
U.S. District Judge John Tunheim called the crime “extraordinary” and said the deaths were “clearly avoidable.” He noted that Patel will likely be deported to India after serving his sentence. Patel, wearing an orange prison uniform, did not speak in court and showed no emotion. His lawyer said he would appeal the sentence.
Shand also showed no reaction as he was sentenced. His lawyer, Aaron Morrison, said Shand was not one of the main players but was simply a desperate driver trying to support his family. He claimed Shand didn’t plan the smuggling or benefit much financially.
The case has drawn attention to the dangers of human smuggling at the northern border. Michael Hanson, acting chief patrol agent for the Grand Forks sector, said the problem remains steady and warned others not to risk crossing in such harsh conditions. “There very well could have been 11 deaths associated with this event,” he said.
Authorities hope the prison sentences send a strong message about the deadly risks of illegal border crossings and the harsh penalties for those who organize them.