Overview

• Steve Shand and Harshkumar Patel were convicted in November 2024 for human smuggling linked to the January 2022 deaths of an Indian family near the Manitoba–Minnesota border.
• The Patel family—Jagdish, Vaishali, and their children Vihangi and Dharmik—died of hypothermia while attempting to cross into the U.S. in extreme winter conditions.
• U.S. attorneys have requested just over 19 years for Patel, citing a lack of remorse, and 10 years for Shand, who they allege conspired in multiple smuggling attempts.
• Shand’s defense lawyer argues the proposed 10-year sentence is overly punitive and suggests a sentence of just over two years instead.
• Both men are scheduled to be formally sentenced on May 28, 2025, following the rejection of new-trial motions earlier this year.