By John Beauge | Special to PennLive
on March 11, 2013 at 2:36 PM, updated March 11, 2013 at 3:01 PM


WILLIAMSPORT - A Texas company accused of using illegal aliens for work in the Marcellus Shale natural gas fields on Monday pleaded guilty to harboring and transporting illegal aliens and agreed to forfeit $250,000 cash and pay a $25,000 fine.

GPX/GXP USA of Sealy, Texas, also agreement to put in place a compliance program to ensure it adheres to applicable immigration and employment laws.

The three-year period of probation in the plea agreement could be reduced to one year if the financial obligations are satisfied.

Operations manager Douglas C. Wiggill, 44, of Fort Worth, Texas, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of aiding the improper entry of aliens into the United States. He is facing a maximum of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.

The company and Wiggil in May had been named in a 20-count indictment that charged the seismic surveying company used illegal aliens in the Marcellus Shale natural gas fields of northcentral Pennsylvania.

The indictment was the outgrowth of an investigation begun when Williamsport police on June 23-24, 2011, arrested 19 aliens in or near apartments rented by the company.

The guilty pleas were before Magistrate Judge William I. Arbuckle III but GPX/GXP and Wiggill will be sentenced by Chief Judge Yvette Kane in Harrisburg.

Firm admits using illegal aliens for Marcellus work | PennLive.com