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10-28-2016, 01:29 PM #1
4 Mexican Restaurants Allegedly Housed, Employed Illegal Workers as Business Model
4 Mexican Restaurants Allegedly Housed, Employed Illegal Workers as Business Model
By TWC News Web Staff
Updated Tuesday, October 18, 2016 at 11:04 PM EDT
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Following raids Tuesday at four well-known Mexican restaurants, including Don Tequila in Buffalo's Allentown neighborhood, the owner of all four eateries and two other men stand accused of harboring people living in the United States illegally.
Sergio Ramses Mucino, 42, is charged with "conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Also charged are two managers, Jose Manuel Sanchez Ocampo and Marguin Sanchez.
Prosecutors say Mucino operates Don Tequila on Allen Street, El Agave in Cheektowaga, Agave on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo and La Divina in Kenmore.
Agents were on Tuesday morning at Don Tequila, where people were brought outside in handcuffs, and agents also seized cash and safes from inside. Witnesses on the street during the raid described it as chaotic.
An investigation that began in 2014 determined, according to prosecutors, that upwards of 38 employees were working at the four restaurants; with 25 arrested during these raids. Seven will be charged criminally for re-entering the country illegally.
Investigators said the employees lived in nine apartments and two houses near the restaurant, all rented and paid for by Mucino and Sanchez-Ocampo, for the purpose of housing the workers. The house was bought by Marguin Sanchez in cash.
The criminal complaint states the people worked six days a week for 14 hours a day. They're said to have been paid about $500 to $800 in cash each week. Investigators say these employees were paid cash by Mucino, who was reportedly raking in $50,000 a week, which he did not report on his taxes.
The U.S. Attorney’s office said there are one or two legal employees who receive payroll checks per restaurant.
Investigators looked into four bank accounts associated with the restaurants, which allegedly show Mucino frequently blended payroll and monthly expenses among the accounts. The investigation revealed that between between Jan. 2014 and June 2016, Mucino allegedly issued checks to Jose Sanchez-Ocampo, 30, his "right-hand man," for about $278,400. Mucino was also found to have issued and endorsed checks to Marguin Sanchez, 22, for about $102,400.
Mucino appeared Tuesday in court, where bail was set at $85,000. Sanchez-Ocampo is set to appear in court Wednesday. We’re told Marguin Sanchez is out of state and authorities are working to get him in custody.
Back on Allen Street, Don Tequila remained closed Tuesday evening, but according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, because Mucino is not in custody, he has the right to reopen his restaurants with legally documented workers if he chooses.
The federal charge of harboring illegal aliens carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Among those arrested, Juan Carlos Bernal-Lujano, 51, and Sanchez-Ocampo were charged with illegal re-entry after a felony conviction. The U.S. Attorney’s office said Abel Cruz-Martinez, 46, Aida Ramirez-Arellano, 23, Alejandro Valadez-Leon, 47, and Aracelli Lopez-Martinez, 33, were also charged with illegal re-entry.
http://www.twcnews.com/nys/buffalo/n...tigation-.html
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10-28-2016, 01:29 PM #2
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10-28-2016, 04:15 PM #3
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The federal charge of harboring illegal aliens carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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