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Bishop calls Mississippi ICE raids 'a man-made disaster ...

Managers, Supervisors, and Human Resource Personnel Indicted for Immigration Crimes and other Federal Crimes Stemming from Largest Single-State Worksite Enforcement Action in Nation’s History

Company Management Charged with Harboring Illegal Aliens, Assisting in Representing False Citizenship and Obtaining False Social Security Cards, Lying to Law Enforcement, Wire Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft

Jackson, Miss. – U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, joined by Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Matt Albence, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Acting Special Agent in Charge Gilbert Trill, and U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Rafiq Ahmad announced today the unsealing of indictments returned by a Federal Grand Jury in the Southern District of Mississippi against four individuals who were managers, supervisors, or human resources personnel at companies where criminal and administrative search warrants were executed in August 2019 and 680 illegal aliens were detained.

“This office has a successful history of prosecuting employers for violating our immigration laws, and today marks another step in ensuring that justice is fairly and impartially done, no matter the law-breaker. I want to thank our partners at ICE Homeland Security Investigations and our office’s federal prosecutors for doggedly pursuing these criminal violations.  The indictments unsealed today mark the beginning, not the end, of our investigations and prosecutions.  Rest assured that we will continue to pursue criminal wrongdoers and enforce our criminal laws wherever the evidence may take us,” said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.

“The results of this ongoing criminal investigation illustrate the importance of strong interior enforcement. The arrests made last year pursuant to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s execution of more than a dozen search warrants, have thus far yielded 126 indictments, 117 criminal arrests and 73 convictions. In total, more than 403 individuals falsified social security information in order to gain illegal employment in the United States,” said acting ICE deputy director and senior official performing the duties of the director Matthew T. Albence. “Companies who intentionally or knowingly base their business model on an illegal workforce deprive law abiding citizens and lawful immigrants of employment opportunities, which are especially critical as our economy looks to recover from the challenges faced by the COVID-19 pandemic. ICE Homeland Security Investigations will continue its commitment to uphold the laws Congress has passed. These laws protect jobs for the legal workforce, reduce incentives for illegal migration, and eliminate unequitable financial advantages for businesses employing illegal immigrants.”

INDICTMENT OF SALVADOR DELGADO-NIEVES OF A&B, INC.:

According to the indictment, Salvador Delgado-Nieves, 57, of Pelahatchie, Mississippi, was charged with three counts of harboring illegal aliens, three counts of assisting illegal aliens in falsely representing themselves to be United States citizens, three counts of assisting illegal aliens in obtaining false Social Security cards, and one count of making a false statement to law enforcement officials when he denied having hired illegal aliens at A&B, Inc. in Pelahatchie.

Delgado-Nieves faces up to 74 years in federal prison and $2.5 million in fines for these criminal violations, as Counts 1-6 carry a maximum of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each violation, Counts 7-9 carry a maximum of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count, and Count 10 carries a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

INDICTMENT OF IRIS VILLALON OF A&B, INC.:

According to the indictment, Iris Villalon, 44, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was indicted on one count of harboring an illegal alien, and one count of making false statements when she denied that she had hired illegal aliens for employment with A&B, Inc., in Pelahatchie, and one count of causing false employer quarterly wage reports to be filed when she knew the Social Security number represented in such reports was not assigned by the Social Security Administration to that specific illegal alien employee listed therein. 

Villalon faces up to 20 years in prison and $750,000 in fines for these criminal violations, as Count 1 carries a maximum of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and Counts 2-3 carry a maximum of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.

INDICTMENT OF CAROLYN JOHNSON AND AUBREY “BART” WILLIS OF PEARL RIVER FOODS LLC:

According to the indictment, Carolyn Johnson, 50, of Kosciuskio, Mississippi, was a Human Resource Manager and Aubrey “Bart” Willis, 39, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, was the Manager at Pearl River Foods LLC in Carthage, Mississippi.  Johnson was indicted on six felony counts of harboring an illegal alien as well as one count of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.  Willis was indicted on five counts of harboring an illegal alien. 

The indictment charges both defendants with harboring illegal aliens following the execution of federal warrants at the Pearl River Foods facility on August 7, 2019.  Johnson was also indicted for fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a grant from the State of Mississippi for reimbursement for on the job training for employees of Pearl River Foods.  As set forth in the indictment, Johnson submitted claims for reimbursement for on the job training that never occurred.

If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum of up to 84 years in prison and $2.25 million in fines, with Counts 1-6 carrying a maximum of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each violation, Count 7 carrying a maximum of twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each violation, and Counts 8-9 carrying a mandatory minimum of 2 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each violation.

If convicted, Willis faces a maximum of up to 50 years and $1.25 million in fines, Counts 1-5 carrying a maximum of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each violation.

Villalon, Johnson and Willis will appear for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Linda R. Anderson today at 1:30 p.m.  Delgado-Nieves will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Ball at 2:30 pm today for his arraignment.  The case against Johnson and Willis has been assigned to Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III.  The cases against Villalon and Delgado-Nieves have been assigned to U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves.

These cases were investigated by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations and are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn Murray.

On August 7, 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations, in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, executed multiple federal criminal and administrative search warrants at seven sites across central Mississippi. This was the largest single-state worksite enforcement operation in our nation’s history, resulting in the detention of 680 illegal aliens and the prosecution of 119 illegal aliens for stealing the identities of American citizens, falsifying immigration documents, fraudulently claiming to be United States citizens, and illegal re-entering the country after have been deported, among other federal crimes. 

The investigations of federal criminal violations continue.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdms/pr/managers-supervisors-and-human-resource-personnel-indicted-immigration-crimes-and-other

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    • Sorry Colonel! You are dreaming! The government of California is so far gone, none of that is going to happen unless there's a major overturning of the government in California, and the state returning to leader ship that honors our constitution. That time is long gone!

    • Hey! Jc4you, I heard that California want to be independent from the United State is that true.

       

    • I'm afraid I don't know,  Buti wouldn't be surprised!

      maybe you know more than I do‼️

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    • Federal law is enforced by Federal Agents... who report to Pres. Donald Trump... We don't need California's Governor or their law enforcement to enforce federal law.  What we need is a President like Abraham Lincoln who will arrest Governors who promote lawlessness and insurrection. 

      Pres. Trump should appoint a special team of US Marshalls and FBI agents... who are hand-selected to go after key political figures in state government who routinely break federal laws... Newsome should disappear one morning to wake up in GITMO and under Martial Law ... tried before a military tribunal... do that with three or four governors and a like number of Mayors and County SuperviWors who routinely violate federal law... and the rest will reform rather quickly.

  • Where are the indictments for the Boards of Directors and owners/officers of the corporations these managers worked for?  Indicting the small fish while letting those who profit the most from such illegal activity will only drive such activity further underground... as the owners improve their social distancing from such known and encouraged illegal conduct by their managers.  The managers were not the one's receiving the profits from such activity .... but were likely coerced into doing so in order to achieve the results their Corporate Bords and owners demanded.

    This raid appears to be limited to MS.... this sort of criminal enforcement should be taking place in EVERY STATE as it is certainly found in every state... In addition, I don't see the Government publicizing these enforcement acts.. and without public exposure on this NEW focus on enforcement others who are exploiting the law and illegal aliens will continue to operate with impunity.  Go after a few thousand prosecutions spread out over all 50 States and the word will be out... that there is indeed a new sheriff in DC and he is hell-bent on rounding up criminal employers with SERIOUS CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS.. watch the illegal alien problem dry up very quickly once no one will hire, house or support them with local services.

    Put a few landlords and bankers in prison for criminal harboring and money laundering... banks can not open accounts with fraudulent social security numbers... and if one attempts to do so the financial institution is to report it and deny the account.  Granting mortgages and personal loans to known illegal aliens is a felony... fraud on the FDIC and may be considered money laundering.  Go after a vew banks... start with Wells Fargo they appear to be open to all kinds of financial schemes that cross the line into unlawful conduct.

    • ADMIN

      It is also about a chilling effect. You charge one and others take note and stop the practice. These folks are facing major prison time on Federal charges. Others are going to have to wonder....am I next? And, to avoid the same charges, they will change how they do business. It is a very effective method to use when resources are finite.

    • I agree, Dee... However, the Boards of these Corporations need to be held accountable or they will simply continue to hire management dumb enough too continue hiring illegals...this time thru 'Independent Contractors'. 

      These independent contractors are often illegal aliens themselves... or dupes with little in the way of assets to lose if caught and prosecuted.  I watched this happen years ago in California with the Brasero Program.  When the State cracked down on the abuse of the program... by those willing to import Braseros without providing the required housing and pay the farmers shifted gears and used contractors to furnish their Brasero Program labor,  Thus avoiding legal problems when they violated the laws regulating their pay and treatment.

      The root of the problem rests with corrupt Corporate Boards or ownership of the companies willing to violate the laws knowing they will be able to avoid serious penalties by using 3trd parties... Therefore, the law must be applied to the source of such corporate culture.. .the boards of directors and owners must be arrested, fined and JAILED... not just their employees or contractors.

    • interesting

       

    • like I told you a long time ago we are a nation of lawlessness thanks to Obama and his administration. 

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    • You know they seem to be right back at it... I have noticed Asplundh tree services in our area and their laborers all have trouble speaking English. They certainly have physical profiles that appear to be foreign...  Maybe Asplundh makes more by employing illegals than the FINES... put the owners in jail and fine them... use the RICO statutes and sell their company to new owners who will operate within the law.

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