Business Owner to Serve 10 Months in Prison After Hiring Illegal Aliens
Tuesday, March 8, 2011

The president of a Southern California furniture manufacturer has been sentenced to 10 months in prison and fines totaling $15,000 for hiring illegal aliens and then obstructing police during the investigation. Rick Vartanian, president of Brownwood Furniture, pleaded guilty to the charges.
In 2009, Immigration and Customs Enforcement audited Brownwood Furniture and found that 61 of Vartanian's 73 workers didn't have the proper paperwork. Later in 2009, Vartanian informed ICE officials that he no longer employed the individuals, but after further investigation, ICE found that not only did he continue to employ 18 illegal aliens, but he also tried to protect them from detection and hired 12 additional illegal aliens.
"He provided false documents to ICE and he also made efforts to help illegal aliens evade detection," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ranee Katzenstein in a statement.
Vartanian could have faced up to 66 months in prison. The vice president of Brownwood Furniture has also been charged and could face up to six months in prison. Vartanian was also sentenced to 100 hours of community service after he serves his jail time.

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