http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/12244025.htm

Posted on Thu, Jul. 28, 2005

Bosses plead guilty in airport hiring

By Aman Batheja
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH - The president and the office manager of an airport contractor pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to charges related to the hiring of dozens of illegal immigrants to do janitorial work at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.

The jury trial for a former company employee also began Wednesday in federal court.

Karen Rowell, president of Midwest Airport Services, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a person in making false representation of U.S. citizenship, said her attorney, Tim Evans.

Rowell had faced 63 counts, including 22 counts of aiding and abetting in the misuse of a Social Security number and 18 counts of aiding and abetting a person in making false and fraudulent statements.

"Mrs. Rowell stepped up and took responsibility for her participation in this matter," Evans said. Rowell is still president of Midwest, he said.

Silvia Castillo, 39, of Irving, Midwest's office manager, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false and fraudulent statement, said her attorney, Greg Westfall.

The count was related to her attesting to the accuracy of the Social Security number of a former Midwest employee, Westfall said. The number was fake.

Castillo had faced 33 counts, including 14 counts of aiding and abetting in the fraudulent use of employment documents, 11 counts of aiding and abetting a person in making false and fraudulent statements and one count of conspiracy to employ illegal immigrants.

"I think it's an outcome that probably works well all the way around," Westfall said. "It was going to be a long and costly trial."

Castillo is still employed at Midwest, Westfall said.

Castillo and Rowell are scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 7, attorneys said.

Calls to the U.S. attorney's office were not returned Wednesday.

Also Wednesday, attorneys made opening statements in the trial of Edward Pitre, operations manager and second in command at Midwest.

Pitre, 49, is charged with one count of conspiracy to unlawfully employ illegal immigrants, five counts of making false representation of U.S. citizenship and six counts of misuse of a Social Security number.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Jarvis told jurors that Pitre was heavily involved in protecting Midwest's illegal immigrants from deportation.

The prosecution will call six illegal immigrants formerly employed by Midwest to testify that Pitre knew they weren't working in the country legally, Jarvis said.

Defense attorney Douglas Greene described Pitre as a former Marine who had nothing to do with whom the company hired.

"Eddie wasn't in human resources. He just supervised [workers] once they got hired," Greene said.

Greene suggested that FBI agents coerced Pitre into signing a statement that he knew that Midwest employed illegal immigrants.

He also suggested that the agents manipulated Pitre into speaking to them without an attorney present.

"You've got a good guy who never did anything bad in his life," Greene said.

Midwest Airport Services and seven employees were indicted in 2004 after a sweep by federal agents at D/FW found that illegal immigrants had had access to secure areas for several years.

A nationwide sweep called Operation Tarmac resulted in 62 warrants for D/FW workers employed by different companies.

A jury trial has been scheduled for Aug. 22 for assistant office manager Abner Anglada, according to court documents.

Two other Midwest employees, project manager/ operations manager Melissa Dropp and assistant project manager Guadalupe Marquez, have pleaded guilty.

Both are scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 15, court documents show.

Prosecutors dropped charges against clerk Aquita Boyd in May, according to court documents.

American Airlines continues to contract with Midwest for janitorial and cleaning work, airline spokesman Tim Smith said.


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Aman Batheja, (817) 390-7752 abatheja