GRAND RAPIDS, MI (WTVB) – The owner of the Super 8 Motel in Coldwater on Orleans Boulevard was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids Thursday, 13 months after he was arrested following an investigation that included agents from the Homeland Security Agency.
31-year-old Mehul Patel, who is also known as Mike Patel, is free on bond after he was arraigned on charges that he allegedly lied to the U.S. Department of Labor about minimum wage payments.
Patel was required to surrender his passport and be subject to electronic monitoring.
According to a statement from U.S. Attorney Patrick Miles Junior, Patel was charged by a federal grand jury on Wednesday.
Patel also owns the Roadway Inn on Beckley Road. Battle Creek Police and federal agents raided the office of the Battle Creek motel in November of 2015.
They were looking for evidence that the owner was allegedly running a prostitution ring at the business. Later that day, they raided the Super 8 in Coldwater.
Officers seized paper files and computers from the motels.
