Thread: Employer(s) fined 4.7 million for hiring illegals

http://www.sbsun.com/search/ci_4842987

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Fence company pleads guilty to illegal hirings
By Elliot Spagat, The Associated Press
Article Launched:12/15/2006 12:00:00 AM PST


SAN DIEGO - Millions of illegal immigrants toil in America's factories, farms, homes and restaurants. Few get caught. Even fewer employers get charged with a crime.
A Southern California fence-building company became an exception to the rule Thursday when it pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court to knowingly hiring illegal aliens from 1999 to 2005. Golden State Fence Co. agreed to pay a $4.7 million fine, one of the largest for immigration violations.

Even more striking: Two company executives pleaded guilty to felony charges of knowingly hiring illegal aliens, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Federal prosecutors plan to seek a prison term of at least six months.

Mel Kay, 64, the company's founder, chairman and president, also agreed to pay a $200,000 fine and Michael McLaughlin, 42, manager of the company's Oceanside office, agreed to pay $100,000, bringing the combined financial penalty to $5 million.

The men, who admitted hiring at least 10 illegal immigrants in 2004 and 2005, were released on their own recognizance. U.S. District Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz scheduled sentencing March 28.

U.S. Attorney Carol Lam said the government will recommend terms on the low
end of the six-to-12 months established in federal sentencing guidelines. Richard Hirsch, attorney for Golden State and Kay, said he would ask the judge for less than six months prison time for Kay.
The privately held company, based in Riverside, said in a statement that it pleaded guilty "to bring this matter to a conclusion and restore normalcy to the business."

Golden State, which currently employs 750 people, saw sales soar from $60 million in 1998 to $150 million in 2004, according to a biography of Kay provided by the company.

A 2004 government audit of the company's Oceanside office concluded 48 of 182 employees there were illegal immigrants, said Lauren Mack, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A 2005 audit of its Riverside office found 109 of 352 employees were working illegally.

Golden State employed at least three people in 2005 who were flagged during a 1999 audit by immigration authorities, according to the plea agreement. The government had warned the company not to rehire them.

It is extremely rare for an employer to plead guilty to immigration violations that carry prison time, said Peter Nunez, a former U.S. attorney in San Diego who teaches immigration policy at University of San Diego.

"You probably couldn't find 10 or 15 employers around the country who have been put in jail for hiring illegal aliens," he said.

Federal immigration authorities welcomed the pleas.

"This settlement and guilty plea clearly show that employers who knowingly and blatantly hire illegal workers will pay dearly for such transgressions," Julie Myers, assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement.

The plea deal comes the same week as a sweeping workplace crackdown on illegal immigrants. On Tuesday, federal agents raided Swift & Co.'s meat processing plants in six states for what they described as an investigation into the stealing and selling of identity documents so illegal immigrants can get jobs. Swift, based in Greeley, Colo., has not been charged.

Why do I feel like we are being "primed" for a amnesty?? They did the exact same thing just before the '86 amnesty, crackdowns preceded the amnesty. History is repeating itself.

If that's their fine, then Swift's should be ......?

Swift and how many others to follow. How much for Donald Trump and Drezer who are building condos in Sunny Isles, Hollywood Beach and Fort Lauderdale and have lots of illegals working on their jobsites? I can't wait to see that one. Let the greedy ones pay.

Originally Posted by gofer

Why do I feel like we are being "primed" for a amnesty?? They did the exact same thing just before the '86 amnesty, crackdowns preceded the amnesty. History is repeating itself.

They are. It's all window dressing. Illegals picked up usually only get fingerprinted and released. Bush knows he'll get his amnesty program through so he makes a few token headlines.

I do believe this is window dressing and also I think the raids at Swift was done to create sympathy for the illegals. ICE probably called the media days before they pulled the raid.

There is no way I could not be sorry and sad for the plight of the children of these illegals. These people broke the law by stealing identities and using false documents. These are serious crimes that cause a lot of problems for people. When American mothers and fathers are caught in criminal activities, do they allow the mothers to go home and care for the children? Not to my knowledge. They usually call the local child protective services. Why are these people any different?

nntrixie; I have seen many grandmothers raising their grandchildren because the mother is in jail and there is no sympathy for them.