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<p data-start="82" data-end="359"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Two men convicted in a fatal human smuggling operation were sentenced Tuesday in a federal courtroom in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, bringing closure to a case that drew national attention after a family of four froze to death near the U.S.-Canada border.</span></p>
<p data-start="361" data-end="945"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Harshkumar Patel, a 29-year-old Indian national, was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison &mdash; the highest possible sentence within the applicable guideline range. Although federal prosecutors had pushed for a 235-month sentence, U.S. District Judge John Tunheim said the 10-year term served the public interest by holding Patel accountable for a dangerous and deadly operation. Patel, who is not a U.S. citizen, will likely be deported to India upon completion of his prison term. He will not be subject to supervised release. His attorney stated that an appeal is forthcoming.</span></p>
<p data-start="947" data-end="1126"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Steve Shand, 50, of Florida, was sentenced to 78 months in prison and two years of supervised release. His sentence fell within the federal guideline range of 78 to 97 months.</span></p>
<p data-start="1128" data-end="1464"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The two men were convicted in November 2024 on four counts each related to human smuggling, including conspiracy to bring migrants into the United States illegally. According to investigators, they were part of an organized network that profited from bringing Indian nationals into the country under dangerous and illegal circumstances.</span></p>
<p data-start="1466" data-end="1868"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The case gained national prominence following a tragic incident on January 19, 2022, when four members of a family &mdash; a father, mother, 11-year-old daughter, and 3-year-old son &mdash; died from exposure while attempting to cross the U.S.-Canada border on foot during a severe winter storm. Wind chills had dropped to -36 degrees Fahrenheit as the family became lost and disoriented in deep snow and darkness.</span></p>
<p data-start="1870" data-end="2022"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prosecutors said the smugglers repeatedly placed migrants in life-threatening situations for financial gain, showing a blatant disregard for human life.</span></p>
<p data-start="2024" data-end="2171" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Judge Tunheim&rsquo;s sentencing remarks underscored the gravity of the crime, describing it as a &ldquo;calculated and reckless&rdquo; scheme that ended in tragedy.&nbsp;</span><br><br><br></p>
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Two men jailed after Indian family froze to death in failed border crossing attempt in 2022

Two Sentenced in Fatal Border Human Smuggling Case

Two men jailed after Indian family froze to death in failed border crossing attempt in 2022

May 29, 2025 | 09:13 IST