Thread: 7-Eleven Franchisee Sentenced To 7 Years In Prison For Hiring Illegal Aliens

7-Eleven Franchisee Sentenced To 7 Years In Prison For Multi-State Scheme

Publication: The Southampton Press
By Alyssa Melillo Apr 27, 2015 2:41 PM

Apr 27, 2015 3:27 PM

The owner of several 7-Eleven franchises throughout Virginia and Long Island, including the one in Sag Harbor, was sentenced to 7 years in prison after pleading guilty to a multi-state scheme involving wire fraud and the housing and employment of illegal immigrants.

Farrukh Baig of Head of Harbor was sentenced to 87 months in prison on Monday morning in federal court in Central Islip following his guilty plea in September to committing wire fraud and concealing and harboring illegal aliens employed at 14 different 7-Eleven stores he owned, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Since 2000, Mr. Baig and three others employed more than 50 illegal workers at the 7-Eleven franchises they owned on Long Island and in Virginia and submitted payrolls to the convenience chain corporation using more than 20 stolen identities. The defendants also housed the immigrants in homes that they owned as they worked them up to 100 hours per week while only paying them for up to 30 hours. According to the release, the defendants also stole wages from the workers, generating more than $182 million from the scheme.

Mr. Baig's wife, Bushra, Malik Yousaf of South Setauket, and Zahid and Shannawaz Baig, both of Virginia, also pleaded guilty to the charges in September, although they were not sentenced Monday morning.

The four defendants were all arrested in June 2013 after an extensive joint investigation by New York State Police, Suffolk County Police, the United States Department of Labor and the New York field office of Homeland Security Investigations.

“Using the 7-Eleven brand in our neighborhoods, the defendant exploited his alien employees, stealing their wages and requiring them to live in unregulated boarding houses," Acting United States Attorney Kelly T. Currie said in the press release. "He now faces time in prison for not only systematically employing illegal aliens, but also for concealing their employment by stealing the identities of children and even the dead."

http://www.27east.com/news/article.c...i-State-Scheme

6/17/2013

http://www.alipac.us/f12/u-s-seizes-...-raids-281178/

http://www.alipac.us/f12/hsi-investi...istory-311384/

IMO, the fact that Baig was hiring illegals has absolutely nothing to do with his troubles. Where he screwed up was stealing their wages. We've seen our government ignore the hiring of illegal over and over, but when it comes to stealing their wages, the Department of Labor is going to come after you. Secretary Perez, just like Secretary Solis before him, could care less about whether you hire illegal or not, but Lord forbid you should steal their wages. These are President Obama appointees, and as such they have one goal in mind, that is to protect illegal aliens. Sure, Baig was charged with systematically employing illegal aliens, but truth be known, that's not what brought him within the Department of Labor's radar. He could have hired all the illegals he wanted, assuming he paid them a fair wage and treated them fairly.

Obama's goal is to protect illegal aliens and those that work for him better have the same goals! I'm betting not a single one of the illegal alien employees got deported. Actually, I'd bet they were given a U visa since they were taken advantage of by their employer.

• 7-Eleven Cracks Down on Franchisees After I.C.E. Seizes 14 Stores
  
  
• 
  
  7-Eleven deploying immigration inspectors

WHO OWNS 7-ELEVEN?

Seven & I Holdings Co.

From Wikipedia

Website	www.7andi.com

Seven & I Holdings Co., Ltd. (株式会社セブン&アイ・ホールディングス, Kabushiki-gaisha Sebun ando Ai　Hōrudingusu^?, Seven-i (セブンアイ)) is a Japanese diversified retail group headquartered in Nibancho, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan.^[1] Founded originally in 1920 as Ito-Yokado, Seven & I is now the fifth largest retailer in the world,^[2] with 35,000 stores in approximately 100 countries.
History[edit]

Seven & I Holdings was established on September 1, 2005 as the parent company of the 7-Eleven Japan chain of convenience stores, the Ito-Yokado grocery and clothing stores, and the Denny's Japan family restaurants.

In November 2005, it completed the purchase of US-based 7-Eleven Inc.

On December 26, 2005, the company announced its acquisition ofMillennium Retailing holding company, parent of the Sogo and Seibu Department Stores chains. The acquisition makes Seven & I Holdings the largest distribution and retailing business in Japan.

On August 11, 2006, Seven & I purchased Lombard, Illinois-based White Hen.^[4]

In July 2007, the group announced the enlargement of their American chain 7-Eleven. They proposed an additional 1000 stores in a $2.4 billion plan that would see their US operation grow to over 7,000 stores. The target was set to achieve $10 billion in sales in the US by 2010.

On June 11, 2012, Seven & I, through its 7-Eleven, Inc. subsidiary, acquired 23 convenience stores in the US from Strasburger Enterprises, Inc.

On December 4, 2013, Seven and I purchased 44.99% ownership of Barneys Japan Co., Ltd. from "a fund operated by Tokio Marine Capital".^[6] Barneys Japan "has a network of 10 stores in Japan, including five outlet stores" and, "for the year ending February 2013, Barneys Japan posted sales of ¥19.52 billion."^[6] After this transaction, Sumitomo Corporation will continue to retain a majority stake of 50.01% in Barneys Japan Co., Ltd.^[6]

On January 29, 2014, Seven and I, through its subsidiary Seven & i Net Media, acquired 50.71% of Nissen Holdings, which is engaged in the mail order sale of clothing and daily necessities, the retail and wholesale of gift products through stores, catalogs, Internet and mobiles. Also, Nissen is involved in the life insurance, casualty insurance agency, credit card and money lending business.^[7][8]

Subsidiaries[edit]

• 7-Eleven
• Ito-Yokado
• Seven Bank
• Sogo & Seibu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_%26_I_Holdings_Co.

Originally Posted by MW

IMO, the fact that Baig was hiring illegals has absolutely nothing to do with his troubles. Where he screwed up was stealing their wages. We've seen our government ignore the hiring of illegal over and over, but when it comes to stealing their wages, the Department of Labor is going to come after you. Secretary Perez, just like Secretary Solis before him, could care less about whether you hire illegal or not, but Lord forbid you should steal their wages. These are President Obama appointees, and as such they have one goal in mind, that is to protect illegal aliens. Sure, Baig was charged with systematically employing illegal aliens, but truth be known, that's not what brought him within the Department of Labor's radar. He could have hired all the illegals he wanted, assuming he paid them a fair wage and treated them fairly.

Obama's goal is to protect illegal aliens and those that work for him better have the same goals! I'm betting not a single one of the illegal alien employees got deported. Actually, I'd bet they were given a U visa since they were taken advantage of by their employer.

I was thinking the same thing, and I'm wondering when they're going to go conduct this "forfeiture" activity on US farmers, US industries, and other US businesses. Many of the farmers have already admitted to their crimes in the newspaper. I guess we'll see how long that takes. Sigh.

I'm thrilled they nailed some, but the numbers are so small it's hardly big headline news, and like you said, MW, no word at all about the illegal aliens who violated US immigration, US labor and US civil rights laws by being in our country to begin with.

7-Eleven accused of weaponizing ICE raids to shed troublesome franchisees