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Saturday, September 9, 2006
Figure in probe of illegals to cooperate

By Luke E. Saladin
Post staff reporter


The man federal authorities say is a major figure - and a key link to Fischer Homes - in a two-year investigation into the illegal hiring of illegal workers in the Northern Kentucky homebuilding industry agreed to a plea deal Friday in U.S. District Court in Covington.

As part of the deal, Robert Pratt, a Tennessee contractor who operated several companies that worked on Fischer developments locally, agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors in the investigation and pleaded guilty to one count of harboring illegal aliens.

In exchange, federal authorities dropped 23 other counts of harboring illegal aliens and money laundering against Pratt, which could have sent him to prison for up to 30 years.

Authorities say it was Pratt - who ran companies such as Progressive Builders and Quality Construction - who negotiated deals with Fischer Homes supervisors to arrange work for illegal immigrants. They say Pratt and his employees also helped illegal workers find places to stay and obtain payment for their work.

Two others named in the multi-count indictment against Pratt and his employees - Josefino Moreno and Francisco Rojo - said on Friday they would enter similar plea deals on Sept. 19.

Pratt's son, Howard, also agreed to a plea deal on Friday, meaning all 11 people named in the Pratt indictment will have pleaded out before the end of them month.

The investigation now centers on five supervisors from Fischer homes who were charged in a separate indictment, all of whom have plead not guilty to helping organize the illegal operation.

Originally four supervisors were named on a separate indictment: Timothy Copsy, Douglas Witt, William Allison and William Ring. They were charged with conspiring to provide illegal immigrants with jobs and shield them from detection.

Charges were dropped against Ring Wednesday, fueling speculation that he might be helping prosecutors with inside knowledge of Fischer Homes.

As Ring was dropped, two other supervisors were added to the indictment - Ronald Vanlandingham and David Schroeder.

Both pleaded not guilty on Friday.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McBride said Friday he could not comment on the investigation or the pleas.

Christopher Johnson, a Woodland Hills, Calif.-based attorney who represented Robert Pratt, said he and prosecutors had been working on the plea agreement for some time.

Johnson said the decision by others charged in the Pratt indictment to plead out was not a factor in his client's decision to do the same.

"Any competent attorney is going to make sure all the evidence that is presented has been thoroughly reviewed," Johnson said. "In the end, Mr. Pratt decided the best course of action was to enter a plea and cooperate with the authorities."

When asked if authorities were counting on his client's testimony to build a case against Fischer Homes, Johnson responded:

"Mr. Pratt fully intends to cooperate with the authorities on this investigation ... I will say that I wouldn't expect him to testify against people who have already plead guilty."

Robert Pratt and his son will return to federal court on Jan. 11 for sentencing. Both face a maximum of 10 years in prison, up to a $150,000 fine and three year supervised release.

Because of their cooperation with federal authorities, the Pratts' actual sentences will likely be much less severe.

The investigation into illegal workers in the Northern Kentucky homebuilding community surfaced in May when agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided several Fischer Homes worksites in Boone County.

Nearly 100 people were arrested in the roundup.

ICE said that 93 of those arrested were Mexican or Central American nationals charged with being in the United States illegally, and most of them have pleaded guilty to that misdemeanor charge and face deportation.

ICE said Monday that 36 Mexican nationals were deported recently, bringing to 59 the total of those returned home. Another 22, convicted as illegal aliens, remain under court supervision as potential material witnesses in other cases.

Through the investigation, Fischer Homes has denied any wrongdoing and said none of its employees broke the law.

The company has maintained that any illegal immigrants worked for contractors or subcontractors, not Fischer Homes.

Tom Schneider, an attorney representing Fischer Homes, did not return a phone message Friday seeking comment.