MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (Diya TV) — Two men involved in a deadly human smuggling operation that claimed the lives of an Indian family near the U.S.-Canada border in January 2022 have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms in a federal courtroom in Minnesota.
Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, an Indian national formerly living in Florida, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison. He faces deportation after completing his sentence. His co-conspirator, Steve Anthony Shand, 50, a Florida resident and U.S. citizen, received six and a half years in prison followed by two years of supervised release.
The case gained international attention after the frozen bodies of Jagdish Patel, 39, his wife Vaishaliben, 37, and their two children—11-year-old Vihangi and 3-year-old Dharmik—were found just 39 feet from the U.S. border near Emerson, Manitoba. The family had tried to cross from Canada into the United States in sub-zero conditions during a blizzard on Jan. 19, 2022.
Federal prosecutors revealed that Patel, known in smuggling circles as “Dirty Harry,” orchestrated a large-scale human trafficking network that brought Indian nationals to Canada on fraudulent student visas. Once in Canada, the migrants were illegally guided across the northern border into the U.S. for a fee as high as $100,000 per person, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Shand’s role was to retrieve the individuals on the U.S. side and transport them to Chicago. On the morning of the fatal journey, Shand was arrested near the border in Minnesota after his van got stuck in deep snow. Two undocumented individuals were found with him, and five more emerged from nearby fields—one suffering from severe hypothermia.
Later that day, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police discovered the Patel family’s bodies on the Canadian side of the border. The young boy was wrapped in a blanket, with his father’s glove covering his face in a desperate attempt to shield him from the cold. Canadian authorities reported temperatures that night plummeted to -36 degrees Fahrenheit (-38C).
Trial evidence showed both Patel and Shand were warned about extreme weather conditions in advance. On the night of Jan. 18, Shand even forwarded a blizzard alert to Patel, which included warnings of 50 mph wind gusts and deadly wind chills.
“While members of the Patel family were slowly dying in the cold, Steve Shand sat in his warm van,” U.S. prosecutor Michael McBride told the court during the trial, according to BBC News. “Harshkumar Patel texted from sunny Florida and did nothing to help.”
Both men were convicted by a federal jury in November 2024 on multiple counts, including conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States resulting in serious bodily injury, attempted transportation of aliens for financial gain, and aiding and abetting such acts.
Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa Kirkpatrick condemned the men’s actions following the sentencing. “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,” she said in a statement. “As we’ve seen time and time again, human traffickers care nothing for humanity.”
The tragedy highlights a broader and ongoing issue. Many families from Gujarat, India — like the Patels — pursue illegal migration routes in search of better economic opportunities in North America. Neighbors from the family’s village told BBC News in 2022 that such perilous journeys have become increasingly common.
Officials say this case should serve as a grim warning. “Patel and Shand endangered thousands of lives for their enrichment,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “They are responsible for the deaths of two small children who froze to death on their watch.”
