http://www.palletenterprise.com/article ... cleID=3067

Former IFCO Managers Plead Guilty to Illegal Alien Conspiracy

By Chaille Brindley
Date Posted: 4/1/2010

Two of the seven former IFCO employees indicted for criminal charges in connection with immigration raids conducted in 2006 have entered guilty pleas in federal court. William Hoskins, 33, and Tomas Soto Castillo, 56, both of Cincinnati, Ohio pled guilty to a felony conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens and to encourage and induce illegal aliens to remain in the United States. Soto Castillo also pled guilty to a felony conspiracy to knowingly hire illegal aliens.

Hoskins and Soto Castillo were former New Market Development managers for the Pallet Management Division of IFCO Systems North America. They pled guilty before Judge Lawrence Kahn in the U.S. District Court for Northern New York. Due to the time limitations before going to press, IFCO could not be reached for comment about the latest guilty pleas by former employees.

Hoskins faces a potential sentence of up to ten years in prison while Soto Castillo could be imprisoned for up to five years. Both defendants face the possibility of a fine of up to $250,000.

On January 23, 2009, Hoskins, Soto Castillo and five IFCO executives were indicted by a grand jury in the Northern District of New York for immigration, tax and social security related felony offenses.

Five IFCO executives are challenging the criminal charges against them. And a trial is scheduled to begin in late April 2010. These defendants are Haskell “Buddyâ€