Thread: Man Pleads Guilty To Hiring Illegal Immigrants

http://www.wcpo.com/news/2006/local/04/26/abx.html

Man Pleads Guilty To Hiring Illegal Immigrants

Reported by: Bill Price
Web produced by: Mark Sickmiller
Photographed by: 9News
First posted: 4/26/2006 5:59:46 PM
A human resources manager for a Wilmington air cargo company has pleaded guilty to hiring hundreds of illegal immigrants.

In a plea deal, the manager got only probation and a fine without jail time.

The deal over federal misdemeanor charges of hiring illegal immigrants was approved in Cincinnati Federal Court Wednesday by a judge.

A county sheriff, who says he warned the air cargo company about illegal hires of foreign workers years ago, says the deal is very disturbing.

"With that, it's a slap in the face of law enforcement. It's uncalled for," said Ralph Fizer, Jr., Clinton County Sheriff.

ABX Air Human Resources Supervisor Douglas Steele pleaded guilty to charges of hiring over 300 illegal immigrants to sort packages for the shipping company, formerly Airborne Express.

Under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney's office, Steele's misdemeanor charges got him a sentence of six months' probation and a $10,000 fine with no jail time.

"It cost Clinton County a lot of money to do this, taxpayers' money. They were driving autos with no drivers' licenses, no insurance and they were involved in a lot of crashes," said Sheriff Fizer.

Although the assistant U.S. attorney handling the Steele case wouldn't go on camera, he said there were several mitigating factors leading to a plea bargain.

They include things like:

"Could not determine exactly how many illegal immigrants worked at ABX Air."
"Missing social security numbers and other documents were 'discovered' by the company later."
"Steele is helping with other investigations including one of Garcia Labor, the company that ABX air contracted with to get the immigrant workers.
But the sheriff says he warned ABX of its illegal immigrant troubles back in 2002.

"There were supervisors with in ABX, supervisors in human resources that I personally told, that you need to check them out," he said.

Steele is charged with hiring illegal immigrants from 2003 to January of 2005. The sheriff says the company's immigrant problems have greatly been reduced since then.

Late Wednesday afternoon, 9News got a statement from ABX Air in Wilmington.

It says the cargo handler has cooperated fully with justice department investigations.

ABX says it terminated its Garcia Labor contract over a year ago and neither it nor its employees have engaged in any wrongdoing.

Steele remains on leave from his ABX supervisor's job.

They can check with Social Security to find out how many there are working for them as they numbers do not match the names and SSA does notify the employers of this. Also no jail time for this guy just a fine? Also if they worked for an air cargo company, they had access to an airport.