Thread: Men plead guilty to using illegal immigrants for const.

Men plead guilty to using illegal immigrants for construction

by Associated Press

Published: June 6,2011

Tags: construction, employment, illegal workers, immigrants, jobs, workers

BILOXI — Three men have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to employing illegal immigrants, including some who worked construction jobs at Keesler Air Force base in Biloxi.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says 50-year-old Randy Weitzel of Gulfport, 61-year-old Woody Brodtmann Jr. of Bay St. Louis and 44-year-old Agustin Arcadia of Vancleave entered the guilty pleas last Friday.

Prosecutors say the illegal immigrants the men employed had allegedly worked on projects at the courthouse in Gulfport where Weitzel, Brodtmann and Arcadia pleaded guilty.

Sentencing was set for Sept. 1.

Weitzel and Brodtmann were indicted in 2009 for knowingly hiring and harboring illegal immigrants, including some who worked for Artisan Textures at Keesler as far back as 2003.

Arcadia was indicted after immigration officials raided J&A Construction in Vancleave in November 2010.

http://msbusiness.com/2011/06/men-plead ... struction/

Posted on Wednesday, 06.29.11

Feds seek $475K from man for employing illegals


By HOLBROOK MOHR

Associated Press


JACKSON, Miss. -- Federal prosecutors want a Mississippi businessman to forfeit $475,000 for employing illegal immigrants, including some who worked construction jobs at the federal courthouse where he was convicted in the scheme and at a nearby military base.

Randy Weitzel of Gulfport was identified in court records as the operator of Biloxi-based Artisan Textures Inc. and Procoat of LA Inc., based in Baton Rouge, La. He pleaded guilty June 3 to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Sentencing is set for Sept. 1.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gaines H. Cleveland filed a motion Tuesday that asked for a final order of forfeiture for the money. Weitzel's lawyer didn't immediately respond to a call requesting comment.

Weitzel was convicted along with two other men, Woody Brodtmann Jr. of Bay St. Louis and Agustin Arcadia of Vancleave. Weitzel and Brodtmann were indicted in 2009 for knowingly hiring and harboring illegal immigrants, including some who worked for Artisan Textures at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi as far back as 2003. Arcadia was charged later.

Keesler is home to the 81st Training Wing and a unit known as the Hurricane Hunters, which flies into storms to gather data. It also has one of the largest Air Force medical facilities in the country.

Keesler officials have declined in the past to discuss how illegal immigrants made it through the base's security checks. A Keesler spokesman did not immediately respond Wednesday to a message.

Besides, the courthouse and military base, prosecutors said some of the illegal immigrants also worked in construction jobs at least one casino on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Prosecutors said they had proof Weitzel knew some of his workers were illegal - in 2003 he allegedly stopped paying a worker under one name and began paying him under another name.

Prosecutors said Weitzel rented homes for illegal immigrants as far back as 2000. Police raided one of the homes in 2004, but court records said federal immigration officials didn't have the resources to detain the illegal immigrants at the time. An unnamed coconspirator allegedly rented hotel rooms to hide the men.

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