Thread: Arizona drywall company president sentenced for employing illegal aliens

I.C.E. News Releases

April 4, 2012
Tucson, AZ

Arizona drywall company president sentenced for employing illegal aliens

TUCSON, Ariz. – The president of a Sierra Vista drywall company was sentenced Thursday to one year of probation and ordered to pay fines totaling $450,000 following a probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) that revealed the business employed illegal aliens.

Ivan T. Hardt, 45, of Cananea, Mexico, the president of Sun Drywall and Stucco, Inc., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins. As part of a plea agreement, Hardt also agreed to pay $225,000 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Labor for overtime back wages owed under the Fair Standards Act and an additional administrative forfeiture of $225,000 to ICE. To date, Hardt has paid the full amount owed in restitution and $75,000 of the forfeiture agreement.

"Today's sentence should serve as a warning to employers who knowingly circumvent our nation's hiring laws," said Matt Allen, special agent in charge of HSI Arizona. "Hiring unlawful workers not only fuels illegal immigration and perpetuates a shadow economy, but it negatively impacts job opportunities for our nation's lawful work force. HSI will continue to work with our partners at the U.S. Attorney's Office to aggressively investigate and prosecute these cases and hold such employers accountable."

Hardt was arrested following a 16-month HSI Arizona investigation into the company's hiring practices that determined Sun Drywall had employed at least 27 illegal aliens and the company did not present employment documents when asked during a federal inspection.

Sun Drywall also pleaded guilty to unlawful employment of aliens and the company was sentenced to five years of probation. Under the probation terms, the company cannot knowingly hire, recruit or employ illegal aliens and is required to maintain employment verification forms for each employee. The company also agreed to waive the three-day notice requirement for federal inspection of employee files during the probation period.

HSI Arizona was assisted in the investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor. The case was prosecuted by assistant U.S. attorney Jane L. Westby of the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE is a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423 or complete our tip form.

U.S. Dept of Homeland Security

Arizona drywall company president sentenced for employing illegal aliens

Hardt also agreed to pay $225,000 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Labor for overtime back wages owed under the Fair Standards Act and an additional administrative forfeiture of $225,000 to ICE.

They let the illegals go, Solis gets them paid and ICE pockets the rest. This is just another way for the government to get money since enforcement does not seem to be on the agenda and they let the illegals go to work for another company that they can fine and put "on probation" . Bt it looks good in a press release that implies that something is being done.

Originally Posted by Newmexican

They let the illegals go, Solis gets them paid and ICE pockets the rest. This is just another way for the government to get money since enforcement does not seem to be on the agenda and they let the illegals go to work for another company... But it looks good in a press release that implies that something is being done.

Fines and are just a cost of doing business, and events such as the one cited in this thread are just window dressing. Until executives are jailed and illegals and their illegal families are deported, 'Bama & Co. will continue to get a free ride on the illegals issue.

People who participate on ALIPAC and other forums know that Americans are being thrown under the bus, so that 'Bama can get the votes of his precious undocumented Democrats. Unfortunately we continue to be a minority.

The Illegal Alien Crisis would come to an end in less than sixty days if every employer hiring them went to prison.

Well I was happy when I read the headline that this guy was being sentenced. Until I read that he was sentenced to PROBATION. He should have gotten 27 years in the slammer. One year for every illegal. And these homeowners or whatever who let these illegals fix their drywall are to blame too. There is no reason to let an illegal work in or around your home. If it was up to me they would do some serious time too.