Orem man charged with harboring undocumented immigrants
He allegedly made them work for him
By Pamela Manson
The Salt Lake Tribune

Article Last Updated: 12/21/2007 06:15:36 PM MST


Posted: 6:14 PM- An Orem man has been accused of bringing undocumented workers into the United States, then putting them to work at his construction company to repay him.
One Peruvian citizen claims he worked 6- days a week, about 12 to 14 hours a day, and earned $9,500 in a year. Approximately $8,500 of that allegedly went to pay Jose Hernan Moreno-Sevilla and his family for smuggling, transportation and housing costs.
The U.S. Attorney's Office on Thursday charged Hernan with one count of each of bringing in illegal aliens and harboring illegal aliens.
Also charged with harboring is Alejandro M. Meza, who is married to a sister of Hernan's wife. The two men allegedly housed undocumented immigrants at residences they own in Utah County.
An affidavit by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Leslie Derewonko lays out this scenario of the alleged smuggling:
The Peruvian man told investigators that while living in Peru, he borrowed $2,500 from Hernan's parents to illegally buy a Mexican visa so he could travel through Mexico and sneak into the United States. The mother allegedly told him that her son would provide him a place to work and live.
In July 2005, the man says he and two uncles, using Mexican visas, made their way to Phoenix. The three men met there with Hernan and some of his relatives - his wife, parents, sister and brother-in-law - and were taken in a truck to Orem.
The man said each was charged $1,500 for the transportation from Phoenix to Orem, according to Derewonko's affidavit. The man was taken to the sister and brother-in-law's home and his uncles to Hernan's home.
While living with the sister and brother-in-law and working for Hernan, the man allegedly was not allowed to speak to his parents in Peru without being monitored. In addition, the Peruvian told investigators that Hernan kept his passport and told him that every yellow vehicle on the street belonged to immigration officials.
The Peruvian also claimed that about five undocumented workers from Peru and Mexico lived in the house during the year he was there. He said he paid Hernan's sister $100 in cash every two weeks for food.
Derewonko wrote that a county database check shows Hernan owns about 10 residences and Meza about six.
Conviction on a charge of bringing in illegal aliens carries a mandatory sentence of at least three years in prison, while the harboring charge has a maximum term of 10 years.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7781725