Guilty plea in government’s probe of immigration violations at IFCO Systems


Guilty plea in government’s probe of immigration violations at IFCO Systems

Albany – Federal authorities Monday announced the guilty plea of Abelino Chicas, 41, of Houston, TX, a systems manager for the Pallet Management Division of IFCO Systems North America.

Chicas pled guilty in United States District Court in Albany, NY, to the felony offense of Aiding and Abetting the Transportation and Harboring of Illegal Aliens. At his sentencing on November 8, 2007, he faces a potential sentence of up to five years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

The guilty plea stems from the government's investigation of illegal employment-related practices at IFCO's pallet management services plants, which procure, recondition and distribute wood pallets. On April 19, 2006, agents arrested seven current and former IFCO managers, including Chicas, and executed search warrants at nine IFCO facilities, including IFCO's U.S. headquarters in Houston. At the same time, ICE agents conducted a worksite enforcement action at over 40 IFCO pallet plants nationwide. ICE detained nearly 1,200 illegal aliens who were working at the plants.

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