http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?news ... 5154&rfi=6

08/15/2006
Honesdale police gets $250,000 windfall for its part in illegal labor probe
BY MICHAEL RACE
HARRISBURG BUREAU CHIEF


HARRISBURG — When the Honesdale Police Department responded to a burglary call in 1998, Police Chief Mark Flynn had no idea it would lead to a national probe of illegal labor and net his department a $250,000 windfall.

“Never could have imagined this,” he said Monday as he held a mock check for $253,632.52. “We’re the big winners here.”

The money was given to the Honesdale Police Department by the federal government as part of a $15 million settlement with Wal-Mart and several cleaning contractors who serviced the mega-retailer from 1998 through 2003.

Last year, Wal-Mart agreed to pay $11 million to settle federal allegations it used about 245 illegal immigrants to clean some of its stores in at least 21 states, including Pennsylvania. A dozen cleaning companies hired by Wal-Mart agreed to pay another $4 million. None of the companies was required to admit any wrongdoing under the terms of the settlements.

While the bulk of the settlement cash — about $12.5 million — will go to the federal Treasury’s asset forfeiture fund, the feds determined the state’s Office of Attorney General and the Honesdale police should get a cut for their roles in the national probe.

“The asset sharing announced today reflects the indispensable roles of these state and local agencies in this investigation,” U.S. Attorney Thomas Marino said during a check-passing ceremony in Harrisburg.

“Without the work of the Honesdale Police Department and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, this case would not have moved forward,” said Julie Myers, an assistant secretary with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Flynn, who has led the 16-member police force since last year, barely recalls the incident that triggered the national investigation. He remembers it began with a residential burglary complaint in which the victim and the alleged burglar were illegal immigrants.

The department contacted federal immigration officials, who asked Honesdale police to keep tabs on the two and relay information about others who associated with them. Flynn said his department did its best to help out, and racked up about $1,500 in overtime costs in the process.

“Well, chief, just consider the rest of this quarter million dollars a tip,” Marino joked before the check was handed over to Flynn.

The money represents more than a third of the police department’s annual budget of about $740,000. Flynn said the department would put some of the cash aside for future expenses, but he also plans to spend some on upgrades of radios and other equipment. He said the money could not be used to reduce the department’s existing budget.

Myers said the distribution of the settlement money is based on a complex formula that takes into account how much manpower an agency expended and how significant it was to the overall investigation.

Flynn said his department has received some forfeited assets in the past for help in criminal probes, “but nothing close to this.”

mrace@timesshamrock.com