A Mexican national living in the Kansas City area pleaded guilty on March 31 to conspiring to stage armed robberies so that illegal immigrants could falsely claim victim status and obtain U-Visas, according to federal court records.
The case highlights a scheme where individuals paid thousands of dollars to participate in fake crimes, aiming to fraudulently secure immigration benefits intended for real victims. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips by Oscar Gutierrez, 36, who admitted his involvement in several staged incidents designed to support false visa applications.
Gutierrez was charged after investigators linked him and co-defendant Jose Luis Morales Salgado—who previously pleaded guilty—to a series of staged robberies involving at least 33 purported victims between December 2021 and July 2024. Court documents state that more than 100 people may have been involved as purported victims. During these events, participants were instructed by Salgado on how to report the fake crimes and bolster their U-Visa applications. An undercover federal agent also recorded a meeting with Salgado where arrangements were made for a $4,000 payment for staging another robbery.
Investigators from the Kansas City Police Department used ballistic imaging technology from the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) and city surveillance tools such as cameras and license plate readers to connect multiple incidents with one firearm and identify vehicles used in the crimes. According to court documents, “Salgado told the undercover agent he would ‘put on a grand show.'”
The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act allows foreign nationals who are crime victims assisting law enforcement investigations or prosecutions eligibility for U-Visas if they suffered substantial abuse. In this case, however, many applicants falsely claimed victimization through orchestrated events.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford with investigations conducted by local police along with federal agencies including Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri supports community outreach programs addressing violent crime according to its official website. The office operates out of Kansas City, Jefferson City, and Springfield according to its official website, is affiliated with the Department of Justice according to its official website, handles cases across 66 counties according to its official website, covers territory from Iowa’s border southward into Arkansas according to its official website, and collaborates closely with other law enforcement partners according to its official website.
