Thread: Tape led to arrest of Swift manager

Tape led to arrest of Swift manager
Federal agents monitor what was said between supervisor and immigrant.

By SHIRLEY RAGSDALE
REGISTER STAFF WRITER


July 13, 2007
13 Comments



A friendship with an undocumented worker led to the end of Christopher Todd Lamb's 17-year career at Swift & Co. in Marshalltown.

Lamb, 37, a human resources manager, is accused of coaching the worker on how to avoid detection and to apply under a false name and documents.

The worker, Alejandro Vasquez-Avina, was arrested in a raid on the Swift meatpacking plant in December as part of an operation at Swift plants nationwide. He allegedly told Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents that Lamb might help him get rehired at the plant.

The immigration agents took Vasquez-Avina up on his alleged offer and recorded conversations between the two men last month, according to court documents. Lamb was arrested Tuesday, along with three other employees at the plant.

Federal officials are targeting managers and others who harbor illegal immigrants, said Richard Rocha, ICE spokesman.

"We're looking for anybody with ties to criminal activity in the workplace, people who help people secure employment, people who help immigrants using false documents or stolen identities, people who supply false documents or stolen ID," Rocha said.

Court records show that Lamb had worked his way up from the plant line to become assistant manager of the human resources department.

Vasquez-Avina had worked at the plant off and on since 1995. He is one of the 99 workers detained in the Dec. 12 immigration raid at the plant. He was charged with making a false citizenship claim, using false documents and having a false Social Security number.

According to court documents, in an interview after his arrest, Vasquez-Avina told ICE agents that he knew Lamb well. At one time, Lamb was Vasquez-Avina's supervisor. Vasquez-Avina said he helped put siding on Lamb's house.

Vasquez-Avina allegedly told Special Agent Rodrigo Prieto that Lamb knew he was in the United States illegally and if he spoke with Lamb, he likely could get rehired at the plant.

Agents provided Vasquez-Avina with a valid Social Security card and a Texas birth certificate in the name of Anthony Gomez. With these documents, ICE agents arranged for Vasquez-Avina to obtain a South Dakota picture ID, court records show.

Then on June 3, fitted with a concealed microphone, Vasquez-Avina went to Lamb's home while ICE agents recorded and monitored the conversation, according to court records. Vasquez-Avina said he wanted to return to work at Swift.

Lamb allegedly told Vasquez-Avina that others who had been detained in December were already back at the plant. He allegedly said Vasquez-Avina shouldn't come back under the same name.

Lamb, who had been trained by Swift to detect forged or fraudulent immigration documents, allegedly walked Vasquez-Avina through the hurdles he would face if he tried to get rehired. The employment interview could be the applicant's undoing if his answers were inconsistent with documents. But if he answered the questions correctly, interviewers "won't ask you too many questions," Lamb allegedly said.

Vasquez-Avina showed Lamb the false documents he had received from ICE and asked if they appeared to be legitimate, court records say. Lamb allegedly "asked for his glasses and then stated the Social Security card looked good."

Vasquez-Avina said he was going to apply for a job and if "he gets caught, then he gets caught," according to court documents. On June 5, Vasquez-Avina interviewed and was hired by the plant. Lamb didn't interview him, but he did assign him to a section, court documents say.

On June 25, Vasquez-Avina allegedly returned to Lamb's home. Lamb said he was worried about rumors circulating in the plant that Vasquez-Avina was helping immigration officers set a trap, according to court records.

Vasquez-Avina allegedly said he had just dropped by to let Lamb know he had been hired and to thank him. Lamb responded that he didn't help him with anything, court documents say. Vasquez-Avina allegedly said the interview went just as Lamb explained and that "it was easy."

Lamb said that maybe immigration officials had heard their conversations and they would put him in jail, according to court documents.

On Tuesday, Lamb was arrested for allegedly knowing about a felony and concealing it and for not reporting Vasquez-Avina to authorities. His preliminary hearing is set for July 23.

Kirk Martin, migration and refugee services director for Catholic Charities in Des Moines, believes that ICE's new push shows the agency is increasingly playing on people's fears and lack of knowledge of their rights to enforce a broken immigration system.

"It's increasingly important that we work to educate citizens, workers, employers and immigrants on our rights in our homes, workplace and community," Martin said.

"If ICE can't do its job without relying on snitches, there's no better proof that there is a need for a different, forward-looking and just immigration system."

Religion Editor Shirley Ragsdale can be reached at (515) 284-8208 or sragsdale@dmreg.com




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Kirk Martin, migration and refugee services director for Catholic Charities in Des Moines, believes that ICE's new push shows the agency is increasingly playing on people's fears and lack of knowledge of their rights to enforce a broken immigration system.

"It's increasingly important that we work to educate citizens, workers, employers and immigrants on our rights in our homes, workplace and community," Martin said.

"If ICE can't do its job without relying on snitches, there's no better proof that there is a need for a different, forward-looking and just immigration system."

This is some of the more twisted logic I've ever heard, but consider the source. Anyone who isn't a blatantly blinded Catholic supporter or ilegal alien advocacy group...in other words someone with a sense of the law and concerned for the welfare of this country, it's workers and citizens...would see right through the Catholic Services Director's psycho-babble.