Thread: Indiana businessman accused of transporting illegal aliens

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssen...l/14489772.htm

Posted on Wed, May. 03, 2006

Associated Press

FARGO, N.D. - Federal prosecutors charged the owner of an Indiana company that performs stucco work at Midwestern construction sites in the transporting and hiring illegal aliens.

Robert Adrian Porcisanu, 28, a Romanian citizen, and his Franklin, Ind., business, Stucco Design Inc., were named in a 12-count criminal indictment unsealed Monday in the District of North Dakota.

According to the indictment, Porcisanu and his company undercut the bids of competitors and won contracts to perform stucco-related work by using illegal workers to reduce labor costs.

He is accused of arranging to transport his illegal employees to construction sites in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin and of paying for them to stay at nearby hotel rooms.

Porcisanu, also known as Iulian Jijie, faces three counts of money laundering, two counts of making false statements and several other charges, including conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens and conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.

He plans to plead not guilty when he is arraigned in Fargo, N.D., Wednesday, said his attorney Robert Ratliff. Immigration officials originally detained Porcisanu in March because of his immigration status, Ratliff said.

Porcisanu is in federal custody in the Fargo area.

The indictment also alleges that he did not pay his illegal workers overtime and did not withhold state and federal taxes or Social Security taxes.

If convicted on all the counts, he faces as many as 40 years in prison. The government also seeks the forfeiture of the proceeds of Porcisanu's illegal business activity, about $1.5 million.

He belongs UNDER the jail.