Thread: VA: Peabody VP gets 3 months in illegal immigration case

Peabody VP gets 3 months in illegal immigration case
By PETER DUJARDIN | 757-247-4749
1:55 PM EDT, April 30, 2008

The vice president of a Newport News fishing company got sentenced Wednesday to three months in prison for hiring 126 illegal immigrants between 2003 and 2007.

Yvonne Michelle Peabody, who ran the day to day operations at Peabody Corp — which runs scallop boats from the small boat harbor at the end of Jefferson Avenue — also got four months of home confinement, and a fine of $50,000 — in addition to the $6.25 million in fines and forfeitures that the company itself had to pay.

Her father, William Francis Peabody, the company's president, was spared time behind bars, but got sentenced to five months of home confinement and fined $100,000.

U.S. District Judge Raymond Jackson said he was appalled by the egregiousness of the case, noting that Yvonne Michelle Peabody knew what she did was wrong, and that she did it intentionally. As a member of the law enforcement subcommittee of a marine fisheries organization, Jackson said, she "should have been setting the example."

"The court can only conclude that it was selfishness and greed that caused you to commit these crimes," Jackson said.

He also noted that William Francis Peabody knew what was going on and "profited from" the crimes. "You have been a direct beneficiary" of the hiring of the illegal immigrants, Jackson said. "You were certainly aware that there were problems ... with these issues."

Both Peabodys pleaded guilty in November in a plea agreement with the government.

Yvonne Michelle Peabody had faced up to 12 months in prison for the crime and William Francis Peabody faced up to six months in prison. But the U.S. Attorney's Norfolk office had recommended that Jackson to spare prison time for both — based on their guilty plea and their cooperation in a related case against a Coast Guardsman convicted of giving Yvonne Peabody sensitive information.

The U.S. Attorney's office asked that Jackson sentence Yvonne Michelle Peabody to four months at a local halfway house, and give both she and William Francis Peabody probation, in addition to the fines they and their company had to pay.

Related links
Archive story: Firm accused of hiring 126 illegal aliens
http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/ne ... 1692.story

But, but, Your Honor---don't you know that the rules of American business say that we need not obey America's laws as long as we can make a larger profit???? My heavens, we saved $2 million in wages just this last year. American businessmen are exempt from obeying the rules and laws. If you don't believe me , your honor, just check with our Chamber of Commerce or any immigration lawyer.