Illegal Alien from France Indicted After Alleged Discriminatory Threats to a Car Dealership Employee and Bulk Store Employee

St. George, Utah – An illegal alien from French Guiana, France, is in federal custody after a federal grand jury in St. George returned an indictment charging him with federal crimes after he allegedly made multiple discriminatory and threatening phone calls to a bulk store employee and a car dealership employee. Ramchand Rattan, 44, residing illegally in Las Vegas, Nevada, was indicted on August 11, 2026. According to allegations in court documents, between May 6, 2025 and May 24, 2025, Rattan made multiple threatening phone calls to an employee of a car dealership in St. George. The victim said he assisted two people, one of whom was later identified as Rattan, on May 6, 2025. The victim said the two took a couple of test drives and during the interaction, Rattan noticed the victim spoke with an accent and asked him where he was from. The victim said he was originally from Britain. A few days later, Rattan called the dealership and asked for the victim. Because the victim was not on the lot at the time, the employee gave Rattan the victim’s personal phone number. The victim then received multiple phone calls from Rattan. If the victim answered, Rattan would make accusations and threats and at times leave voicemails doing the same. Messages included Ratan stating on May 11, 2025, that he would “bust your f****** head” and “shoot you in your f****** head.” In the second message on May 12, 2026, Rattan said, “I will murder you!” and that he would “follow you all over the United States and murder you!” Rattan also threatened to go to the dealership that afternoon and murder the victim. Most recently, according to allegations in court documents, between January 17, 2026, and January 21, 2026, Rattan made multiple threatening phone calls to a bulk store employee in St. George. Employees reported that the male suspect spoke with an accent and demanded that a homosexual black employee he recently interacted with at the store be fired. Rattan allegedly used derogatory names for homosexuals and black people during the calls and threatened if black or homosexual employees were not fired, Rattan would blow up or burn the store down. In a recorded call, Rattan said “I’m going to turn your place into a BBQ joint. I’m going to light it up like a BBQ joint.” According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Rattan is currently in the United States illegally with a pending asylum claim. Rattan is charged with two counts of interstate communications with a threat to injure. His detention hearing is scheduled for August 25, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before a U.S. Magistrate Court Judge in courtroom 2B at the courthouse located at 206 West Tabernacle Street, St. George, Utah 84470. United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the St. George Police Department and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office’s St. George Resident Agency. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Burton for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Attachments: rattan_indictment.pdf rattan_pos_reg_detention.pdf