Oscar Gutierrez, 35, of Independence, Missouri, and Jose Luis Morales Salgado, 36, of Kansas City, Missouri, both Mexican nationals, were charged in federal court for allegedly orchestrating a scheme in which immigrants paid to become staged “victims” of armed robberies in order to fraudulently apply for U-Visas. Salgado allegedly recruited individuals to pose as robbers and directed immigrant clients to the locations of planned staged crimes, with the affidavit citing 11 robberies involving 33 victims between December 2021 and July 2024 and potentially more than 100 total victims. The investigation was conducted by the Kansas City Police Department, ATF, and Homeland Security Investigations.

Read more: Two Mexican Nationals Charged in Conspiracy to Fraudulently Obtain Visas for Immigrant ‘Victims’ of Staged Crimes