Thread: Employees' potentially fake documents will be investigated

Sheriff: Employees' potentially fake documents will be investigated
Published Sat, Aug 2, 2008 12:00 AM

By JEREMY HSIEH
jhsieh@beaufortgazette.com
843-986-5548
Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said his investigators will pursue reports of widespread use of fraudulent documents by workers in the county, a discovery that county-hired business auditors told the County Council about last week.

Andy Patrick, head of Hilton Head Island-based auditing firm Advance Point Global, reported findings to the Beaufort County Council on Monday from his company's first 358 business audits. In his presentation, he noted that there is "sufficient evidence" of "significant use of counterfeit documents" in the county and an apparent industry of illegal document-making.

There's sort of a legal firewall between the auditors and the employees with the suspicious documents. The auditors are authorized to audit the businesses but not individuals. Patrick, whose firm began auditing in April, said all of the businesses were in compliance or brought into compliance as far as I-9 documentation, a federally required form that states immigration status on every employee.

Similarly, employers have no legal obligation to verify the legitimacy of information that employees use to fill out I-9s, such as names and social security numbers.

Tanner learned about the auditors' preliminary findings about two months ago when the auditors met with him and Solicitor Duffie Stone.

"I was surprised that there were so many potential criminal violation involving the minimal amount of audits done," indicating a major problem, Tanner said. At that time, Tanner said the auditors had completed about 180 audits.

Tanner said he couldn't specify which documents were flagged or businesses affected.

"Our position is, continue your audit process and if you find anything suspect ... turn it over to me for investigation," Tanner said. "I'll assign it to an appropriate investigative team. We'll also review the documents and/or possible charges with the solicitor."

Newly trained deputies with investigative powers typically reserved for federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are likely to play a role in the fraudulent document campaign.

"They're getting their feet wet, if you will," Tanner said. "As soon as they're comfortable in their new certification, they'll start aggressively looking at the findings they have presented to us. We'll look at those as criminal investigations."

The audits are part of the county's Lawful Employment Ordinance, which created penalties for businesses discovered with illegal workers.

The businesses chosen for the audits were a random sample of every business licensed to operate in unincorporated Beaufort County. (Full disclosure: The Beaufort Gazette was one of the randomly selected businesses.)

http://www.beaufortgazette.com/local/story/510242.html

I don't get it, my teenager had to bring in her birth certificate, ss card and ME (with MY signature) to get a job! There was also a background check required before she even got the job!

How are illegal aliens able to circumvent all this?!?!?!?!

Where do I go (as a 3rd generation American) to get some of these nifty false id's. I am sick of paying taxes which will only go to somehow support the illegals or be blown up in some foreign country.

Is this NC?

I don't get it, my teenager had to bring in her birth certificate, ss card and ME (with MY signature) to get a job! There was also a background check required before she even got the job!

Don't forget the urine sample or hair analysis to test for drugs and alcohol! All for a minimum wage job!