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Last Updated: 6:32 am | Friday, June 16, 2006
New charge in migrant case
Contractor, sister accused of laundering money
BY JIM HANNAH | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
COVINGTON - A central figure in a federal investigation into the alleged use of illegal immigrants in construction also faces charges of money laundering.

On Wednesday, a federal grand jury meeting in Covington indicted contractor Robert Pratt on nine counts of laundering money and one count of conspiracy.

Pratt, 47, is awaiting trial under house arrest in Franklin, Tenn., and couldn't be reached.

The charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $500,000.

The indictment states Pratt and his sister, Josefina Moreno, also named in the indictment, paid $141,600 to framing crews of illegal immigrants over the last five years.

The checks to pay the crews were drawn on accounts of various companies the pair had incorporated. These companies included Progressive Builders, Pratt Quality Construction and HPF.

The indictment states Progressive Builders was established specifically to provide framing services for new home construction for Fischer Homes of Crestview Hills.

Fischer issued a new statement this week reiterating it does not condone the hiring or use of illegal immigrants. The company said it supports all governmental employment regulations and stands by its hiring procedures.

"The company continues to work diligently with the U.S. Attorney's Office to get the facts quickly for a speedy and just resolution," the statement reads.

Four Fischer employees - Douglas Witt, Timothy Copsy, William Allison and William Ring - have been charged with harboring, or conspiring to harbor, illegal aliens.

A federal indictment states the four supervisors knowingly used illegal immigrants employed by Pratt's companies for the Tree Top subdivision in Hebron and Tara subdivisions in the Plantation Pointe development in Florence.

In May, Pratt, his sister Moreno, son Howard Pratt and daughter Jacqueline Pratt were indicted on charges of harboring illegal aliens or conspiring to harbor illegal aliens.

The indictment states Robert Pratt would also lease apartments in Northern Kentucky for illegal immigrants.

As part of the investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have rounded up nearly 100 suspected illegal immigrants since May 9. In exchange for being deported back to Latin America, the majority of the immigrants have been pleading guilty over the last two weeks to entering the country illegally.

E-mail jhannah@nky.com