Illegal immigrant sentenced for fraudulent visa ring in Kansas City

An illegal immigrant from Mexico has been sentenced to less than two years in prison for developing a crime scheme to get visas for other illegal immigrants.

Jose Luis Morales Salgado, 37, hired people to stage “robberies” with illegal immigrants as the victims. The illegal immigrant “victims” would pay Salgado thousands of dollars for him to stage a robbery for them so they could potentially apply for a Visa.

In each instance, Salgado directed the illegal immigrants to pull over on a specific part of the road due to fake car trouble. While they were pulled over, a hired actor pretending to be a robber would arrive wearing a medical mask and wielding a firearm.

The false robber would strike the victim in the head, take their money and fire two rounds into the vehicle.

Salgado gave the victims instructions on how to falsely report the crime to law enforcement officers when they arrived at the scene. Salgado’s plan was to take advantage of U Visas, which the U.S. gives to illegal immigrants who are eligible victims of criminal activity that resulted in substantial physical or mental abuse. To obtain the visa, the illegal immigrant victim must help law enforcement with the investigation and prosecution of the crime.

“The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act was designed to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute certain crimes while also protecting victims of crimes who are willing to help law enforcement authorities in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity,” a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri says.

Investigators discovered a connection to the robberies when the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network discovered one gun was likely used in all the incidents. Detectives then used license plate readers and city cameras to identify the vehicles used in the staged robberies.

An undercover federal agent met with Salgado in January 2025 and offered to pay $4,000 for a staged robbery. The agent met with him again later that month, and Salgado was arrested.

Over 100 people participated in the heists and 11 fake robberies happened between December 2021 and July 2024 with 33 total “victims.” Of the 33, 18 of them submitted U Visa applications.

Salgado pleaded guilty to conspiring to fraudulently obtain immigration visas for aliens March 23. He faced up to five years in prison and was sentenced Wednesday to 21 months in prison without parole and must pay $61,200 in forfeiture money judgement.