Illegal Immigrants Arrested


YouNewsTV™Story Published: Apr 16, 2008 at 8:15 PM EDT
Story Updated: Apr 16, 2008 at 8:15 PM EDT
By Melanie Pritchard

A local restaurant owner is behind bars tonight accused of harboring illegal immigrants and making them work for low wages.

They come here under the lure of finding wealth and happiness in the United states. But federal investigators say these alleged illegal immigrants are taking away jobs from Americans making it hard for legitimate restaurant owners to stay in business.

An early morning raid in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Georgia nets a total of 56 arrests...including the owner of a chain of Mexican restaurants, ten of his managers and several dozen illegal immigrants. "The owner himself would pay the smuggling fee and require the workers to pay him back," said U.S. Attorney Terrance Flynn.
The workers would allegedly make $300 or less per week, paying off smuggling debts of nearly $3,000 and paying to live in apartments controlled by the operators of the ring.

The alleged ringleader, Simon Banda, lived in Depew. He owned El Caporal Mexican Restaurant in Cheektowaga, Don Lorenzo Mexican Restaurant in Allegany, Azteca Mexican Restaurant in Dunkirk and La Herradura Mexican Restaurant in Bradford, Pennsylvania.

Bradford resident Betsy Eschrich watched the law enforcers in action early this morning. "You saw policemen everywhere outside here and outside there. And then they started going inside."

Some in Bradford are shocked to find out who was actually working here. "It doesn't sound like a very good idea," said Amy Williams. "If I had known that I might not have even eaten there."

"I guess it's amazing and you don't even realize it's happening right under your nose you don't even realize it," said Nicole Magee.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched this investigation two years ago acting on a tip from Cheektowaga police. "It's a significant disadvantages for businesses in areas like WNY to have to compete against an organization a restaurant chain or other business that is not complying with U.S. Law," said Lev Kubiak, Acting Special Agent in Charge of I.C.E.

With illegal immigrants working for low wages other restaurants that are on the up and up can't measure up. And while it's unclear if the competition in any way contributed to the shutdown of the local Don Pablos restaurants, investigators say the illegal operations were clearly profiting. "It adds up it doesn't take long for hundreds of thousands to get into the millions," said Flynn.

Officials say some of that money was off the books. The main suspects in this case face up to ten years in prison and fines totaling $250,000. The 45 illegal immigrants who were also rounded up are facing deportation.
http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/17831539.html