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Published February 9, 2006

2 accused of illegal worker scheme

NEWS-LEADER STAFF

A Springfield man and a Branson woman are named in a federal indictment alleging they provided up to 300 illegal workers on contract for Branson area hotels.
The workers, the U.S. attorney in Kansas City said in a statement Wednesday, were in the country on fraudulently obtained temporary work visas. The statement did not specify where the workers came from or which hotels used their services.

Don Ledford, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney, said the hotels are not implicated in the scheme and no allegations are being made against them.

Serguei Choukline, 47, of Springfield, and Monica A. Lopez, 24, of Branson, were named as codefendants in the indictment, charged with eight counts involving visa fraud, mail fraud and one count specifying forfeiture of property, which named Choukline's residence in Springfield.

The indictment alleges that Choukline and Lopez conspired to deceive the government in an immigrant petition and permanent residency status application for Lopez in 2004.

Choukline, a Russian, was in the country legally, Ledford said.

The indictment alleges that a Branson company, Midwest Hotel Management, operated by Choukline and Lopez, made false statements on 15 foreign labor visa applications to get visas for 300 workers, who they placed as contract labor in Branson hotels.

The hotels paid the management company for the labor, Ledford said. The statement from U.S. Attorney Todd Graves, alleges that the company received approximately $1.5 million for the contract labor the workers performed.