SC-3 more S.C. poultry workers are arraigned on ID charges

Breaking Business Posted on Thu, Aug. 28, 2008 3 more S.C. poultry workers are arraigned on ID charges
The Charlotte Observer
Three more House of Raeford Farms workers were arraigned today on charges of using fake IDs to work for the company's Greenville plant, which continues to be at the center of an illegal immigration investigation.

Victor Cruz-Soto, Daniel Badillo-Baca, and Nain Zarate-Camarero were indicted on charges of using counterfeit IDs to gain employment, identify theft, and making a false statement to a federal agency. The three men were arrested in July.

The men, handcuffed and wearing red jump suits, remained silent as a federal judge entered pleas of not-guilty on their behalf, explained their rights and placed detention orders on them because they were in the country illegally.

Each of the three men nodded and then quietly said "yes" when asked if they understood the charges.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched a work-site investigation of House of Raeford's Greenville plant late last year. Federal agents reviewed company files and workers' employment eligibility forms, known as I-9 Forms.

Based on review of the I-9 Forms, investigators determined that each of the men knowingly used an identification belonging to another person.

In a February series on working conditions in the poultry industry, the Observer reported that some House of Raeford managers knew they employed undocumented workers, according to five current and former managers. The vast majority of the line workers, they said, are in the country illegally.

House of Raeford has said it doesn't knowingly hire undocumented workers and regularly asks outside counsel to audit company records and hiring practices.

"We take all necessary efforts to comply with applicable law, including immigration laws," the company wrote in a recent statement.

Cruz-Soto, Badillo-Baca and Zarate-Camarero are expected to be back in court within two months for a pretrial hearing where they will be given the opportunity to change their pleas.

Earlier this month, seven former supervisors of the poultry plant pleaded guilty to almost the exact same charges. They now face up to two years in prison and are expected to be deported upon completion of their sentences.

Since publication of the series, 11 House of Raeford employees have been arrested on immigration violations, including the Greenville plant's human resource manager Elaine Crump for allegedly instructing employees to use fraudulent employment elegibility forms. She is expected back in federal court in October for a pretrial hearing.



http://www.thestate.com/breakingbiz/story/505660.html

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House of Raeford has said it doesn't knowingly hire undocumented workers and regularly asks outside counsel to audit company records and hiring practices.

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Outside counsel? Just pay any counsel enough and they will take your side and perhaps offer comforting words. This kinds of stuff is done on a daily basis, not only by companies, but this current administration as well.