8 who cleaned state building charged


03/20/2007

Eight workers who were arrested this month in an immigration sting at a state office building here appeared in federal court Monday on charges that they illegally entered the country and possessed fake Social Security cards and forged residency documents.

Those charged Thursday were detained along with 14 others on March 6 at the Truman State Office Building in Jefferson City. They include seven Mexicans and one Chilean, the U.S. attorney's office said.

All eight worked for an Oklahoma-based office-cleaning company, Sam's Janitorial Service.

Gov. Matt Blunt terminated a state contract with the company soon after law enforcement officials detained 25 of its employees. Blunt also barred the company from doing business in Missouri.

The raid followed a two-month investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials into the company, which had held state contracts since 1998 and employed about 80 workers to clean seven buildings in Jefferson City, one in Columbia and one in Kansas City.

Appearing at the hearing Monday were Alfredo Soriano-Salinas, 32; Jonathon Vertiz-Rincon, 19; Eulogio Vasquez-Garcia, 47; Carlos Sanchez-Cabrera, 37; Rosa Alejandra Luna-Soriano, 31; Ana Vasquez-Garcia, 45; and Ernesto Diego-Jacinto, 19, all of Mexico; and Ana Riadi-Martinez, 56, of Chile.



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