KC Reporter

Two individuals from Mexico residing in the Kansas City area face federal charges for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to stage armed robberies. These staged incidents were intended to allow immigrants, purportedly victims of these crimes, to apply for U-Visas.

Oscar Gutierrez, 35, from Independence, Missouri, and Jose Luis Morales Salgado, 36, from Kansas City, Missouri, both Mexican nationals, are charged with conspiracy to fraudulently obtain immigration visas. The criminal complaint was filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City on January 30 and later unsealed following Salgado's arrest.

The complaint alleges that immigrants paid Salgado thousands of dollars to become "victims" of staged robberies. In return, Salgado arranged the time and location for these events. He also recruited individuals to act as robbers during these incidents; one such recruit was Gutierrez.

According to an affidavit supporting the complaint, each robbery followed a pattern where immigrants reported car trouble before being approached by another vehicle. The alleged robber would then assault them and take their cash while firing shots into their vehicle.

Investigators identified 11 incidents fitting this pattern through ballistic imaging technology provided by the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN). They determined that one firearm was likely used across all cases and traced vehicles involved back to Gutierrez using city cameras and license plate readers.

Salgado is accused of instructing immigrants on how to falsely report these robberies to law enforcement in order to strengthen their U-Visa applications. This visa category is available under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act for foreign nationals who have suffered substantial abuse due to qualifying criminal activity and are willing to assist law enforcement.

The affidavit indicates over 100 purported victims were involved in this scheme between December 29, 2021, and July 13, 2024. Of those involved in the cited 11 robberies involving 33 victims within this timeframe, 18 have applied for U-Visas claiming victimhood of violent crimes.

On January 22, undercover agents met with Salgado as part of an investigation where they arranged payment for a staged robbery aimed at obtaining a fraudulent U-Visa. Following further meetings on January 30th where plans were finalized and partial payment made by undercover agents—Salgado was arrested.

It is important to note that charges filed are accusations requiring evidence presentation before a federal trial jury tasked with determining guilt or innocence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford is prosecuting this case which has been investigated by multiple agencies including Kansas City Police Department along with Bureau Alcohol Tobacco Firearms Explosives Homeland Security Investigations.