KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Kansas City man pleaded guilty to orchestrating staged armed robberies so immigrants could fraudulently obtain U.S. crime victim visas.
Jose Luis Morales Salgado, 37, pleaded guilty to conspiring to fraudulently obtain immigration visas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri announced.
How the Scheme Worked
Prosecutors said Salgado, a Mexican citizen living in Kansas City, admitted that immigrants – some in the U.S. illegally, others on work visas – contacted him to arrange staged robberies.
Participants paid him thousands of dollars to become fake “victims” of violent crimes, which would qualify them to apply for U-Visas, investigators indicated.
U-Visas are part of a federal program meant to protect actual crime victims who cooperate with law enforcement.
According to court documents, each staged robbery followed a nearly identical script:
Participants would pull over, claiming car trouble, and exit their vehicleA second vehicle would arrive and park nearbyA masked “robber” brandishing a firearm would strike the fake victim in the head or face, take their cash and fire two rounds into the victim’s vehicle
FILE (Antranik Tavitian for The Texas Tribune)
Investigators said Salgado recruited individuals to play the role of robbers, provided directions to all parties and coached the fake victims on how to give false reports – specifically to bolster their U-Visa application.
Scale of the Operation
Law enforcement officials indicated that they identified 11 robberies involving 33 victims between Dec. 29, 2021, and July 13, 2024. Of those 33, 18 immigrants submitted fraudulent visa applications.
A source told investigators the total number of participants in the scheme was well over 100.
The Kansas City Police Department said it initially flagged 11 incidents that matched the same pattern.
Investigators noted that they linked the cases using the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, which uses ballistic imaging technology to compare cartridge case markings – suggesting a single firearm was used across all the robberies.
KCPD indicated that city surveillance cameras and license plate readers helped detectives identify the vehicles involved, ultimately leading them to Salgado’s co-defendant, Oscar Gutierrez.
On Jan. 22, 2025, prosecutors said an undercover federal agent met with Salgado and agreed to pay him $4,000 to stage a robbery for a fraudulent visa application.
Investigators noted that Salgado told the agent he would “put on a grand show.”
The agent paid a $500 deposit, with the balance promised later, according to court documents. When the agent met with Salgado again on Jan. 30, 2025, he was arrested.
Salgado and Gutierrez were indicted by a federal grand jury on Feb. 6, 2025.
Sentencing
Under federal law, Salgado faces up to 5 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing date will be set after the U.S. Probation Office completes a presentence investigation.
About the U-Visa Program
Prosecutors said the U-Visa program was created under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act to help law enforcement investigate and prosecute serious crimes.
FILE(olegkruglyak3 – stock.adobe.com)
To qualify, a foreign national must:
Have been the victim of a qualifying crimeHave suffered substantial physical or mental abusePossess information about the crimeBe willing to aid law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution
Prosecutors noted that Salgado’s scheme directly exploited and undermined that program.
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