Mexican Man Found in St. Paul Admits to Fake Kidnapping Plot
Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Mexican man has pleaded guilty to federal charges for faking his own kidnapping in a scheme to obtain a U.S. Visa. 46-year-old Alejandro Cortes, who was deported from the U.S. on two previous occasions, was found with his hands and mouth bound in duct tape along a road in St. Paul in April. Federal prosecutors say Cortes told police he had been abducted from his home in Chicago and driven to Minnesota.
He has now admitted staging the kidnapping to fraudulently apply for a Visa based on his false claim of being a crime victim. He also admitted he sought medical treatment at Regions Hospital and accepted gift cards from an organization that provides services to crime victims.
He pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud and another count of illegally re-entering the U.S.