KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Oscar Gutierrez, 35, of Independence, and Jose Luis Morales Salgado, 36, of Kansas City, have been charged for conspiring to fraudulently obtain U nonimmigrant status (U-Visas), a program designed for victims of certain crimes who assist law enforcement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri revealed that the men orchestrated staged robberies to help illegal immigrants falsely claim victim status for U-Visa applications. According to the complaint, immigrants paid Salgado thousands of dollars to arrange these fake crimes.
Salgado reportedly set up the incidents and recruited Gutierrez as a fake robber. The robberies followed a set pattern: the victims, claiming car trouble, would stop, and a second vehicle would pull up. A robber, wearing a medical mask and carrying a firearm, would then strike the victim, steal money, and shoot at the vehicle.
Salgado allegedly coached the immigrants on how to make false reports of these incidents to strengthen their U-Visa claims. The charge against the men is an accusation, and they have yet to be proven guilty in court.
