http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic ... 10395Local News



Local News Illegal workers out of jail


Last Updated: 11:35 am | Wednesday, January 31, 2007


Illegal workers out of jail

30 of 32 arrested reached plea agreement


BY JIM HANNAH | JHANNAH@NKY.COM
COVINGTON - A majority of the 32 illegal immigrants arrested Nov. 29 en route to construction jobs across Northern Kentucky have been released from jail.

The latest release came Tuesday when 14 Mexicans pleaded guilty to entering the United States illegally in exchange for having to serve no more jail time.

This follows the release of 16 immigrants Friday after they reached a near identical plea with federal prosecutors.




The two remaining immigrants are being held on additional criminal charges.

As part of the plea agreement, federal prosecutors amended the charges against the immigrants so they would not automatically be deported or banned from entering the country legally. U.S. Magistrate Judge Gregory Wehrman also waived fines for the immigrants, but said they would have to report to federal parole officers for a year.

"Our clients are minnows in the stream," said lawyer John Arnett, who represented at least 10 of the immigrants. "The government is looking for the big fish."

Arnett, along with co-counsel Iversy Velez, said they expect their clients to be given temporary work visas by federal immigration officials.

"That's what has occurred in similar cases a few months ago," Arnett said, in reference to a highly publicized case involving 76 illegal immigrants arrested in May at various building sites around Boone County.

Arnett said his clients' status depends, in part, on what information they can give the government in other investigations.

Lawyer Robert Moffitt brought coats to the two immigrants he represented Tuesday. He said he was concerned the men were being released from custody with no one to pick them up and nothing but what they were wearing when they were detained in November.

Law enforcement officials arrested the immigrants outside the Home Depot in Florence, a parking lot near the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau in Covington and another lot near Mike Fink Restaurant on the Ohio River shore.

An official with the Boone County Sheriff's Office, which assisted in the raid, has said that at least some of the immigrants were hired to hang drywall at the Ascent at Roebling's Bridge, a 22-story condominium high-rise in Covington with units selling for up to $5 million.

Cincinnati.Com NKY.com Local News Illegal workers out of jail