2 brothers plead guilty after ICE raid of Bean Station slaughterhouse
2 brothers plead guilty after ICE raid of Bean Station slaughterhouse
The men, supervisors at the plant, were put on probation for three years as part of the deal, and each has to do 80 hours of community service.
Author: Jennifer Prohov, John North
Published: 10:42 AM EDT June 7, 2019
Updated: 12:54 PM EDT June 7, 2019
BEAN STATION, Tenn. — Two brothers who worked for the owner of a Bean Station packing plant have pleaded guilty after hiring undocumented workers to keep up with work at the slaughterhouse and meat-packing plant, court documents reveal.
Carl and Jason Kinser submitted plea agreements with the federal government in late February to a misdemeanor count of employing unauthorized aliens, documents show.
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A federal magistrate judge signed off on the judgments Wednesday in court in Greeneville.
Each were put on probation for three years as part of the deal, and each has to do 80 hours of community service.
James Brantley owned Southeastern Provision, raided by federal officials in April 2018. He is awaiting sentencing in federal court after pleading guilty to wire fraud, tax fraud and employing illegal aliens.
Carl Kinser had worked at the plant 25 years, the documents state, and had been a mid-level manager for the last four to five, during which time he had "knowingly hired unauthorized aliens," a sentencing memorandum from the federal government stated. He knew at least 20 people he hired between 2013 and April 2018 were undocumented.
The maximum punishment for knowingly hiring an unauthorized alien is six months in prison, a $3,000 fine per unauthorized alien, or both.
The federal government asked the court to sentence Carl to a term of 90 days in prison.
Jason Kinser pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally engaging in a pattern or practice of hiring for employment unauthorized aliens, a sentencing memorandum filed on his behalf by his defense lawyers stated.
Jason Kinser had worked at the plant 18 years and was the "Kill Room supervisor" when it was raided in April. He told federal agents after the raid that the plant owner had instructed him to hire undocumented workers to keep up with growing production demands at the slaughterhouse.
"A few years prior to the raid on Southeastern Provision, James Brantley hired a consultant in the meat packaging industry to advise Mr. Brantley on how to increase production and improve the company's financial position," Jason's defense memorandum stated. "As a result of some of the ideas the consultant put into place, production at Southeastern Provision increased exponentially."
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The memorandum notes that because of the increase in production and "less than desirable working conditions," Brantley told the brothers to hire undocumented workers to fill the gaps in employment when needed.
Jason Kinser's memorandum states he and his brother worked their way up to supervisory positions during their time at the plant.
Jason Kinser had requested the court sentence him to six months probation instead of prison.
Federal records show Brantley's sentencing was put off earlier this year because he was cooperating with federal authorities in an unspecified case.
https://www.wbir.com/article/news/2-...4-840075ecd18b
For more coverage of the ICE raid on the plant:
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