Four more Swift employees arrested in Marshalltown

A Swift & Co. human resources official was among four employees arrested Tuesday when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted a follow-up sweep of the Marshalltown plant. Arrests also included a local official of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which represents Swift employees.

Christopher Todd Lamb, 37, of Marshalltown, who worked in the Swift human resources department, was charged with harboring illegal aliens and "misprision of felony," which indicates he knew about a felony crime or participation in a felony crime and didn't report it, according to Tim Counts, a regional ICE spokesman.

Lamb appeared Tuesday before U.S. Senior District Judge Ronald Longstaff on Tuesday and was bound over on the charges. A preliminary hearing is set for July 23.

Swift officials declined to comment about the ramifications of a member of management being arrested on immigration charges but did say plant officials "cooperated fully" with federal agents. "There were no accusations of wrongdoing by the company or charges by the government," said Sean McHugh, a Swift spokesman. "Yesterday's event took a collaborative approach that Swift has long advocated, delivering criminals to ICE in a manner that doesn't disrupt local communities, livestock producers or Swift operations."

Union official Braulio Pereyra-Gabino, 58, of Marshalltown was also arrested. He was charged with harboring illegal aliens, Counts said. Pereyra-Gabino's trial is set for Aug. 27.

Pereyra-Gabino is vice president with Local 1149 of the food and commercial workers union. He conducts union orientation for workers at the Marshalltown plant and represents them under the union contract, said Jill Cashen, spokesperson for the food and commercial workers union.

"This is the first time a union employee has been charged in an immigration case," Cashen said. "We're concerned and we're anxious to get all the information to make sure he's not being held accountable for things that are not his responsibility. We don't hire. We're not required to check immigration status."

Two others were arrested on immigration and identity theft-related charges Tuesday but they were not identified by the U.S. attorney's office, pending their appearance in federal court. Three other people were taken into administrative custody for processing. Although no charges have been filed, their cases will be reviewed for possible criminal charges, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

The arrests continued the ongoing identity theft investigation that generated a massive Dec. 12 immigration raid on Swift facilities in Marshalltown and five other states. At that time, more than 1,300 undocumented workers were arrested, including 90 from Marshalltown.

Only 19 people were arrested Tuesday nationwide, according to Richard Rocha, spokesman for the immigration agency, which was roundly criticized for the manner and tactics of its December raid. Union spokeswoman Cashen said that in the latest raids, "it does not appear that ICE engaged in the same level of intimidation and overkill as they did in its December raids."

"These arrests send a clear message that criminal charges are a very real consequence of facilitating the employment of illegal aliens," said Estela Biesemeyer, resident agent at the Des Moines ICE office of investigation.

"ICE has made it a priority to pursue criminal charges against not only those who engage in identity theft, but also those who allow such fraud to flourish in the workplace."

Reporter Shirley Ragsdale can be reached at (515) 284-8208 or sragsdale@dmreg.com