Sentencing set Wednesday for human smugglers convicted after death of family near Manitoba-U.S. border

Caitlyn Gowriluk · CBC News

· Posted: May 28, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 24 minutes ago

Two men convicted of quality smuggling successful a lawsuit wherever a household of 4 from India froze to decease trying to transverse the borderline from Manitoba into the U.S. successful 2022 are expected to larn their fates successful a Minnesota courthouse connected Wednesday.

Sentencing hearings for Florida nonmigratory Steve Shand and Harshkumar Patel, an Indian nationalist arrested successful Chicago, are scheduled for Wednesday day successful Fergus Falls, Minn., aft the men were convicted determination successful November.

The assemblage who heard their lawsuit deliberated for little than 90 minutes earlier returning with blameworthy verdicts connected each 4 of the charges each man faced related to bringing unauthorized radical into the U.S., transporting them and profiting from it. 

The sentencings travel much than 3 years aft 4 members of the Patel household (who were not related to Harshkumar Patel) died portion trying to locomotion crossed the border.

The frozen bodies of Jagdish Patel, 39, his wife, Vaishali, 37, their 11-year-old daughter, Vihangi, and their three-year-old son, Dharmik, were recovered successful a snow-drifted Manitoba tract astir 12 metres from the U.S. borderline connected Jan. 19, 2022.

The somesthesia that time was –23 C, but the upwind chill made it consciousness similar –35 to –38.

Shand was arrested adjacent the borderline astir the aforesaid clip with different Indian nationals successful the van helium was driving.

Prosecutors person asked that Shand beryllium sentenced to implicit 10 years successful prison, saying grounds presented astatine proceedings showed helium knew however unsafe the acold upwind could beryllium and inactive kept going backmost to thrust much migrants.

Harshkumar Patel, who prosecutors said co-ordinated the smuggling and hired Shand, was arrested successful Chicago successful February 2024.

Prosecutors person recommended a condemnation of much than 19 years for Patel, arguing he's ne'er shown remorse for his actions and continues to contradict his involvement.

Patel's lawyers argued helium was wrongfully accused successful the case, portion Shand's described their lawsuit arsenic an unsuspecting cab operator duped by Patel into shuttling migrants into the U.S. aft they walked crossed the planetary borderline illegally.

Lawyers for some men person asked for little sentences than what prosecutors are seeking.

Last month, a justice rejected requests to acquit oregon bid caller trials for the men, whose lawyers had argued the grounds against their clients was insufficient.