Thread: Postville counselor receives grand jury summons

Postville counselor receives grand jury summons
By NIGEL DUARA • nduara@dmreg.com • Copyright 2008, Des Moines Register and Tribune Company • May 22, 2008

Read Comments(4)Recommend Print this page E-mail this article
Share this article: Del.icio.us Facebook Digg Reddit Newsvine What’s this?
Postville, Ia. — A person connected to this month’s immigration raid at Agriprocessors Inc. has been summoned to appear in June before a grand jury.

Ron Wahls, a guidance counselor in the Postville school district, said he received the summons during the school day today.

When approached at his house later today, Wahls said he couldn’t recall the details about his scheduled appearance. He said he hasn’t yet hired an attorney.

Wahls has a long history of working with the immigrant population in Postville. His name has been circulated for years among immigrants from Guatemala to the Ukraine as a contact person who can help get them settled.

“I hope it’s like any family,â€

it's a dam "Underground Railroad" going on in Postsville. Just like we read earlier . They buy and sell people , they come and they go . Quickly .
Now when are the Owners getting attrested ?

.
Immigrant ally gets jury summons
By NIGEL DUARA • nduara@dmreg.com • May 23, 2008

Read Comments(14)Recommend (1)Print this page E-mail this article
Share this article: Del.icio.us Facebook Digg Reddit Newsvine What’s this?
Copyright 2008, Des Moines Register and Tribune Company

Postville, Ia. - A person with a long history of working with the immigrant population in Postville, site of a major immigration raid this month, has been summoned to appear in June before a grand jury.

Ron Wahls, a guidance counselor in the Postville school district, said he received the summons during the school day Thursday.

When approached at his house later Thursday, Wahls said he couldn't recall the details about his scheduled appearance. He said he hadn't yet hired an attorney.


More than 300 people were arrested May 12 at Postville's Agriprocessors Inc. on fraud and immigration-related charges. Federal prosecutors and immigration agents haven't said whether they plan to charge any of the managers at Agriprocessors amid allegations of worker abuse and fraud.

Wahls' name has been circulated for years among immigrants from Guatemala to the Ukraine as a contact person who can help get them settled in Postville.

"I hope it's like any family," he said last week. "If I help you, you tell your relatives. Maybe I can (help them), maybe I can't."

In addition to working at the school, he also is a minister at a Hispanic church in Postville and owns rental property in the community.

Officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. attorney's office declined to comment on whether a grand jury had been convened in connection with the Postville raid. Grand jury proceedings are secret, as are the witness list of people called to testify and the subject under review.

An Agriprocessors representative also declined to comment about the grand jury summons.

"As with any legal matter, Agriprocessors cannot comment about any specific allegation," Chaim Abrahams said in a statement. "The company is performing an independent investigation and will continue to cooperate with the government about this matter."

Wahls was named in a 21-point subpoena that the Iowa Division of Labor Services served on the Postville school district in April. In the subpoena, school officials were required to provide Wahls' contract with the district; names of children working for Wahls at his two apartment buildings, which were sold to Agriprocessors Chief Executive Officer Sholom Rubashkin; and all records on Wahls' school computer or at Postville schools that relate to the students and former students of Postville schools and Wahls' work for Agriprocessors.

An R.W. is also named in an affidavit that ICE filed prior to the raid in the process of obtaining a search warrant. Wahls told The Des Moines Register that he probably is the R.W. in the affidavit.

The ICE affidavit alleged that R.W carries an envelope of cash with him. The affidavit alleged that R.W. used the cash to pay Agriprocessors employees.

Wahls said he does carry cash, but that it's for the 50 apartments he manages in Postville. He said residents often pay in cash or ask him to cash their checks, so he said it's necessary for him to have cash on him.

The affidavit also alleges that R.W. is the "point of contact" for Agriprocessors employees who have "misunderstandings" with their Social Security numbers.

"Where would I get those?" Wahls said. "I don't even know where my Social Security card is. I have no knowledge of that."

Wahls said the majority of the allegations in the affidavit probably stem from Postville residents who resent the presence of Hispanics in their town.






http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/p ... /1001/NEWS

In addition to working at the school, he also is a minister at a Hispanic church in Postville and owns rental property in the community.

I'm sure he makes a very lucrative profit from renting to the IA's and charging them for his "help". He should get some major jail time.

Oh brother........we don't even know the half of it yet but I've got a feeling that once it all comes out we're going to see a small town that was nothing more than a crime based "company town".

It's really starting to sound like something out of the "Twilight Zone"

Originally Posted by azwreath

Oh brother........we don't even know the half of it yet but I've got a feeling that once it all comes out we're going to see a small town that was nothing more than a crime based "company town".

It's really starting to sound like something out of the "Twilight Zone"

I pray some standup loyal U.S attorneys show up to do justice . Not just a show

Originally Posted by azwreath

Oh brother........we don't even know the half of it yet but I've got a feeling that once it all comes out we're going to see a small town that was nothing more than a crime based "company town".

It's really starting to sound like something out of the "Twilight Zone"

Twilight Zone is right, AZ. A lot of bizarre things being uncovered by that sleepy town of 3,000 people. Very X-Files. (Shudders)

Btw, AZ, how is Arizona now, 5 months after illegals left? Is it better? Can you see a visible improvement? What are people saying? Are there still illegals there?

My intuition says:

"This has the Mafia written all over it!!!"

1. A Rabbi overseeing "kosher" operations for meats likely destined for East Coast meat markets that are unionized and and owned/operated in a manner that many suspect are Mafia run.

2. A couple Ukrainians were there - there are known Russian and Ukrainian mafia orgs nationwide - including nearby Sacramento.

3. A nationwide team of lawyers who sponsor foreign workers in including Chinese who later disappear after 6 months or more or work...

4. A methamphetatmine lab...

5. A counselor connected to the company who is also a school counselor who also rents out apartment and collects cash...

6. A large local American citizen population with a high unemployment rate...

Great...it's no longer just a national security, sovereignty, law and order, human trafficking problem anymore...now it's a mafia problem as well...

=8-(