Thread: IA-Vinton farm charged with hiring illegal immigrants

Vinton farm charged with hiring illegal immigrants

By JEFF REINITZ
Friday, January 7, 2011 6:12 am
(3) Comments

VINTON, Iowa --- A Vinton area farmer has been charged with employing illegal immigrants.

Officials with the U.S. Attorney's Office for Northern Iowa charged Birker Inc. with harboring illegal aliens for profit in papers filed Monday.

Kenneth Birker, president of the company, is charged with engaging in a pattern of employing undocumented aliens.

An arraignment is scheduled for Monday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids.

Court records allege Birker hired Jose Alfredo Tinajero-Uribe and Alejandra Sarabia-Lule in November 2001 without completing I-9 eligibility verification forms. He also provided a company-owned home for the employees and their children.

In May 2004, he hired Tinajero's sister, Carmen Gonzalez, again without completing an I-9 form, records state.

Authorities allege Birker had reason to suspect the workers weren't in the country legally because of a 2003 memo from his sister that contained that information and because the company was unable to obtain health insurance for the three after the insurance carrier couldn't verify their identities.

In 2004, Tinajero and Sarabia hired an attorney in an attempt to legalize their status in the United States, and Birker was included in a meeting on the topic at the farm, court records state.

Agents with the Bureau of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement arrested Tinajero, Sarabia and Gonzalez at the farm in 2006, records state.

http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/articl ... 002e0.html

Just another greedy person who has partial responsibility for Illegal aliens flooding this nation. Throw the book at him please...