A Houston gas station robbery that left one dead turned out to be an elaborate visa scam to grant the fake victims temporary immigration status, court documents show.

Rasshuud Scott, 22, was killed when a bystander intervened in the alleged hoax, shooting him dead as he 'pretended' to rob two people.

Video shows Scott approaching a man at a Swift gas station on January 27 before pistol whipping him and fleeing the scene.

But before he can escape, a bystander identified by police as Jesus Vargas pulls out a gun and shoots him dead.

Police said they subsequently found messages between Scott and accomplice William Winfrey showing how they orchestrated the whole scheme to secure U-visas.




A Houston gas station robbery that left one dead turned out to be an elaborate visa scam to grant the fake victims temporary immigration status, court documents show





Rasshaud Scott, 22, was killed when a bystander intervened in the alleged hoax, shooting him dead as he 'pretended' to rob two people





Police said William Winfrey was Scott's accomplice, with the two orchestrating this and other similar schemes

The nonimmigrant status is intended for for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.

The visas would allow recipients to qualify for work permits while the case is being resolved. 

Investigators said Scott and Winfrey have facilitated similar robberies going back to 2023, the most recent being the night before Scott was killed.

Vargas left the scene after the shooting as he was in violation of his parole by being in possession of a gun, Fox reports.

He has since spoken to Houston police but was released with detectives stating he was not linked to the fraudulent robbery, 

Scott was rushed to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

One the of the alleged victims of the robbery denied that the crime was staged.




Shooter Jesus Vargas was questioned by Houston police before being released without charge





Winfrey was arrested on April 3 and remains in jail without bond as the case is being investigated

They told ABC13 that they applied for a U visa 'three or four months' after the incident. 

Winfrey was arrested on April 3 and remains in jail without bond as the case is being investigated.

Scott's fiancée did not defend her partner's actions but said she would like to see Vargas charged.

'He didn't deserve what happened to him at all. He was making a dumb decision. I'm not defending him, of course, fraud but he didn't deserve to die,' Sade Beverly told Fox.

'Somebody still lost a life at the end of the day. Have some decorum. It would have eventually caught up to him, and he would have had to learn the hard way. He just didn't get the chance to fix his mistakes.'


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Fiancé of man killed in staged robbery for U-Visa speaks out, once charged with murder