Charges: Ex-Nisswa Inn and Suites owner forced woman to work, threatened to sexually assault and kill her

Criminal charges have been filed against the former owner of Nisswa Inn and Suites, who reportedly kept a woman against her will at the business, forcing her to work.

Vijay Kumar Ramanbhai Patel, 52, has been charged with labor trafficking an adult and felony threats of violence, court records show. The charges stem from a 2024 incident in which a woman said she was forced to stay at Patel’s former business, the Nisswa Inn and Suites.

The hotel has since changed ownership after it was sold in 2025 and is no longer owned by Patel, according to Crow Wing County records.

Court records state the woman reported the incident to police on Sept. 13, 2024. The woman said earlier that year, on July 28, she had responded to an advertisement in New York City offering a free trip to Nisswa, Minn.

The woman, who is from Guyana, bought a plane ticket after visiting her family, believing she would be compensated for t...