Thread: Farm owners plead guilty in immigration probe

Farm owners plead guilty in immigration probe
5:52 PM, Jun. 28, 2011
Written by
Associated Press

BAD AXE — A couple who own a dairy farm in Michigan's Thumb region pleaded guilty Tuesday to hiring illegal immigrants and agreed to pay a $2.7 million penalty.

Johannes and Anthonia Verhaar acknowledged they had employed about 80 illegal immigrants from 2000 through much of 2007. The government said the Verhaars ignored warnings that some employees were not authorized to work in the U.S. They made the plea in U.S. District Court in Bay City.

“Criminal charges and fines are among the government's most effective tools to ensure employers maintain a legal work force,â€

Maybe after a few of these kinds of convictions the other employers in the U.S. will finally "get it"!