Washington, D.C. – Two individuals involved in a human smuggling operation that led to the tragic deaths of four Indian migrants in 2022 have received prison sentences, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on May 29, 2025.
Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, was sentenced to over 10 years in federal prison for coordinating logistics, while his co-conspirator, Steve Anthony Shand, 50, received a sentence exceeding six years for facilitating migrant transport within the United States.
A federal jury convicted both men for their participation in a large-scale human trafficking scheme that involved bringing Indian nationals into Canada with fraudulent student visas before smuggling them illegally into the United States.
In January 2022, amid a severe blizzard with wind chill temperatures plunging to -37.8°C (-36°F), Patel and Shand attempted to transport 11 Indian migrants across the Canada-U.S. border on foot. The dangerous conditions led to the deaths of a family of four, including two children aged three and eleven, whose frozen bodies were later discovered by Canadian authorities in a remote area.
According to the Department of Justice, U.S. Border Patrol agents found Shand’s van stuck in snow near Minnesota. While Shand initially claimed no one else was present, five migrants emerged from nearby fields. One was airlifted for emergency medical treatment, and Shand was apprehended along with two migrants. However, the deceased family was not found until a search by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
"Every time I think about this case, I think about this family — including two beautiful little children — who the defendants left to freeze to death in a blizzard," said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
This case underscores the deadly risks associated with human trafficking and cross-border smuggling operations, especially under extreme weather conditions.
