Thread: Utah Contractor Charged With Illegal Alien Smuggling

Utah Contractor Charged With Illegal Alien Smuggling

Staff
February 11, 2008
Rocky Mountain Construction

Salt Lake City— U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has brought criminal charges against an Orem, Utah-based construction contractor for an alleged scheme to bring illegal aliens into the country and require them to work for his business to pay off their smuggling debts.

Jose Merman Moreno, a Peruvian national who owns MJH Construction, has been charged with one count of alien smuggling and one count of harboring illegal aliens. Moreno's brother-in-law, Alejandro M. Meza, was also charged with harboring illegal aliens.

According to court documents, the two men allegedly housed the aliens in various residences they own in Utah County, where ICE agents arrested 22 Peruvian and Mexican nationals who were found to be in the country illegally.

According to an affidavit filed in connection with the case, one of the illegal alien workers told ICE agents that while in Peru, he borrowed $2,500 from Moreno's parents to buy a Mexican visa so that he could illegally enter the United States through Mexico. Once he arrived in the United States, Moreno's parents allegedly told him he would be provided work and a place to live. In July 2005, the alien stated that he and two uncles arrived in Phoenix, where they were met by Moreno. For a fee of $1,500 each, Moreno allegedly transported the aliens to homes he and his relatives owned in Orem. After arriving there, the alien alleged he was not permitted to speak to his parents in Peru without being monitored, and that Moreno took his passport and vaguely threatened him with deportation.

Another one of Moreno's workers told agents he earned $9,500 after working a year of 12- to 14-hour days for Moreno, but ended up receiving only $1,000 after paying off his debts to Moreno and his family.

http://www.acppubs.com/article/CA6527663.html

Moreno has violated his agreement not to violate any law to become a citizen therefore citizenship is to be revoked and he should be deported along with his freinds.Maybe,he can start a construction company in Peru and make a difference.