HR manager pleads guilty in SV illegal-immigrant hiring case
The Associated Press
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 06.27.2008


SIERRA VISTA — A Sierra Vista human-resources manager has pleaded guilty to federal charges of knowingly hiring illegal immigrants and conspiracy to harbor illegal immigrants for profit.

Carol Hill was one of eight employees of Sun Dry Wall & Stucco Inc. who were charged with the crimes after federal immigration agents raided the business in March 2007. The 43-year-old faces a fine and up to 15 months in prison under terms of a plea deal she signed Monday.

Company President Ivan Hardt faces the same charges and is set for trial in federal court in Tucson. A call to his lawyer wasn't immediately returned Thursday.

Six others were also charged, and court records show four entered plea agreements earlier this month.

The case stemmed from an inspection of company records by immigration agents in December 2005.

Hill admitted in her plea agreement that she and Hardt removed 58 federal right-to-work forms they did not want the agents to inspect.
She admitted that the intent was to remove documents belonging to employees they believed were in the country illegally.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided Sun Dry Wall in March 2007, arresting eight employees.

They previously had picked up 30 suspected illegal immigrants employed at the firm.

According to accusations in a federal complaint filed in 2007, Hardt and one of his foremen used two-way radios to communicate about the whereabouts of immigration agents.

They would relay the location of unmarked ICE vehicles to supervisors who would move the undocumented workers to another site, prosecutors allege.

If the immigrants couldn't be moved in time, the foremen would tell them to hide, the complaint said.
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