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10-25-2012, 01:03 PM #1
Ex-worker sues longtime Collier grower, alleges it hired illegal aliens
FORT MYERS —A top Immokalee produce company faces a federal whistleblower lawsuit after an ex-employee alleged it hired illegal aliens and offered him a five-figure sum to keep quiet.
In a complaint filed in federal court in Fort Myers, Brian Bishop contended that after 14 years with Lipman Produce, formerly Six L's, executives fired him as chief information officer two days after he emailed superiors over field worker hiring practices.
"Lipman knowingly employed illegal aliens, and then conspired and attempted to cover up this pattern of illegal activity by firing Bishop for his objection to Lipman's illegal practices," the 27-page document stated.
Bishop refused to sign a settlement of $84,000 in return for his silence after his termination, the complaint alleged.
The company isn't commenting on the case, Lipman's Chief Financial Officer Toby Purse told the Daily News on Wednesday.
Bishop's North Naples-based attorneys declined to talk, citing the pending litigation.
Purse is named in the suit along with CEO Robert Shoemaker, former CEO Larry Lipman, and three other executives.
The longtime Collier grower will have to respond in federal civil court to the mid-October lawsuit's three counts of racketeering, one of civil conspiracy, and one of violating the Florida whistle blower law.
The complaint alleges the executives being sued benefited from racketeering because their annual bonus and the company's profits "could not have been achieved with legal farming labor."
"Lipman's practice of knowingly employing, harboring, concealing and shielding illegal workers ... has continued for years," it added, saying such activities were ongoing and "will continue into the future unless halted by judicial intervention."
Furthermore, accepting fake identification from laborers is a "regular way of conducting business" at Lipman Produce, Bishop's complaint alleged.
The former IT specialist made multiple attempts to discuss and solve the problem of undocumented workers with his superiors, according to the civil complaint, by suggesting technology that could curb illegal hires and verify workers' identities.
The document attributes quotes to executives acknowledging Lipman Produce's use of undocumented laborers.
Southwest Floridians may know Lipman Produce by its longtime name, Six L's, founded by the Lipman family.
Headquartered in Immokalee, it changed its name in 2011, a year after Larry Lipman retired as CEO and Shoemaker, a former executive with Sysco, took over.
The company undertook coast-to-coast expansions in the past year, acquiring businesses in North Carolina, Texas and Oregon.
It employs more than 4,000 workers in 13 states and Mexico, in researching, growing, packing, and distributing produce, primarily tomatoes, according to the company website.
Ex-worker sues longtime Collier grower, alleges it hired illegal aliens » Naples Daily NewsDemocracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!
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10-25-2012, 08:06 PM #2The complaint alleges the executives being sued benefited from racketeering because their annual bonus and the company's profits "could not have been achieved with legal farming labor."Support our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts at https://eepurl.com/cktGTn
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10-26-2012, 05:25 PM #3
Southwest Florida grower denies allegations it hired undocumented workers
12:56 PM, Oct. 26, 2012
Written by
news-press.com
A big Southwest Florida-based agribusiness denies allegations in a federal lawsuit that it knowingly hired undocumented workers, and tried to cover it up.
Immokalee-based Lipman, formerly Six L’s, today issued this statement from Toby Purse, chief financial officer and chief administrative officer: “We are confident that the allegations are unfounded and we intend to defend against this lawsuit vigorously.”
In the suit filed Oct. 10 in the Middle District of Florida, U.S. District Court, former 14-year Lipman employee Brian Bishop alleges he was fired last February for raising concerns about the hiring of illegal laborers.
“We have not heard anything from Lipman,” said Rick Swift, Bishop’s attorney in Naples. He declined to comment further, saying the suit speaks for itself.
Lipman’s headquarters are in Immokalee; however, the suit reports the company also has seasonal farms in South Carolina, Virginia and California and processing facilities in New Jersey, Tennessee, California, Texas and Oregon.
Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida grower denies allegations it hired undocumented workers | The News-Press | news-press.comSupport our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts at https://eepurl.com/cktGTn
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11-29-2012, 01:09 AM #4
Immokalee grower seeks dismissal of whistle-blower suit filed by ex-worker
By VICTORIA MACCHI
Posted November 28, 2012 at 5:35 a.m.
Naples Daily News
FORT MYERS — An Immokalee grower accused in a federal whistle-blower lawsuit of hiring illegal immigrants is pushing back against the allegations of a former employee.
Lipman Produce wants three counts of racketeering and one of conspiracy dismissed in the civil suit on the grounds that they are unfounded, according to documents filed with Florida's Middle District Court earlier this month.
It was the first substantial public response from the privately held company following the October suit by its former director of information technology, Brian Bishop.
Bishop accused Lipman executives of firing him after he sent an email to them in February regarding hiring practices.
His suggestions for how to avoid employing illegal workers weren't taken seriously, he said in the suit, which includes quotes attributed to executives that acknowledge the hiring of undocumented immigrants.
He alleged that employing, concealing and harboring undocumented workers was a "regular practice" at Lipman, and that executives terminated him "in an attempt to cover up their illegal activity."
Executives offered him $84,000 in hush money after his termination to not discuss the use of undocumented workers at the company's farming and packaging facilities, the suit contends.
The company hasn't asked that the fifth allegation — violating Florida's whistle-blower law by firing Bishop — be dismissed.
In response to that count, Lipman acknowledged that Bishop did send an email in February to two executives, but denied the allegations that they fired him when he brought up the issue of hiring practices.
Toby Purse, chief financial officer and chief administrative officer at Lipman, issued a statement through the company's public relations firm in late October.
"We're confident that the allegations are unfounded and we intend to defend against this lawsuit vigorously," said Purse, who is named in the suit along with CEO Robert Shoemaker, former CEO Larry Lipman, and three other executives.
The federal court must now determine whether to dismiss the four conspiracy and racketeering charges.
Lipman Produce, better known in the area by its former name, Six L's, grew nationally in the past year, acquiring businesses in North Carolina, Texas and Oregon.
It has more than 4,000 workers in 13 states and Mexico employed in all stages of agricultural production, from research to growing, packing and distributing produce, primarily tomatoes, according to the company website.
Immokalee grower seeks dismissal of whistle-blower suit filed by ex-worker » Naples Daily NewsSupport our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts at https://eepurl.com/cktGTn
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11-29-2012, 03:06 AM #5
'Bama doesn't want E-Verify and Lippman doesn't want E-Verify - because neither one wants to end illegals displacing Americans. Lippman's motive is simple: just maximizing profits. 'Bama's motive? At times it seems that he really is out to destroy America.
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Americans first in this magnificent country
American jobs for American workers
Fair trade, not free trade
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11-29-2012, 02:31 PM #6
No, I disagree, I am beginning to think that he only wants to destroy some Americans. They like to overlook the fact that the Spanish were colonialists also.
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