Minnesota Woman Accused in Scam to Obtain Visas
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A Minnesota woman is accused of swindling money from four people in a scam aimed at getting visas for crime victims who help police.
Prosecutors say 36-year-old Yuridia Hernandez Linares, of Eden Prairie, used a box cutter or sharp object to cut the four, who then filed false police reports claiming they were injured during armed robberies.
The four told police they paid Hernandez Linares a total of $5,000 and worked with her to file false police reports in order to get a so-called U visa. The visas are given to victims of certain crimes who have been helpful to law enforcement.
Court documents say Hernandez Linares had obtained a U visa in 2016 after falsely reporting that she was a crime victim. It was not immediately clear if Hernandez Linares has retained an attorney.