Posted on 04/12/2006 10:21:56 AM PDT by Calpernia
Two employment agencies and nine individuals charged with hiring and harboring illegal aliens, mail fraud and laundering $5.3 million -- ICE agents arrest suspects in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio --
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two temporary employment agencies and nine individuals affiliated with the agencies have been charged in a $5.3 million scheme involving the employment of illegal aliens, harboring of illegal aliens, mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, according to a federal indictment unsealed today in the Northern District of Ohio.
This morning, agents from the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Labor Inspector General, and FBI arrested three defendants in Philadelphia, PA, one in New York, N.Y, and another in Columbus, Ohio. A sixth defendant has agreed to turn himself over to federal authorities. The three remaining individuals are at large.
According to the indictment, the defendants conspired to employ illegal aliens, as well as legal aliens who had no authorization to work in the United States. They also conspired to provide transportation and housing for these aliens, as well as help them obtain fraudulent documents. The indictment also alleges that they profited from this illegal employment scheme and laundered millions in proceeds.
At the heart of the scheme were HV Connect, Inc., a temporary employment agency that operated in Philadelphia, PA, and Canton, Ohio, and TN Job Service, Inc, a temporary employment agency that operated in Philadelphia, PA, Pennsauken, NJ, Canton, Ohio, and New Philadelphia, Ohio.
According to the indictment, these agencies contracted with unwitting companies in Ohio to provide them with several hundred workers. In doing so, the employment agencies falsely represented to their clients that the workers were legal and authorized to work in the United States, when most were illegal and did not have work authorization. The employment firms also falsely represented that they would pay payroll taxes and workers’ compensation premiums for the employees.
The indictment further alleges that the owners of the temporary employment agencies and other defendants laundered roughly $5.3 million in proceeds that they earned from this illegal employment, mail and wire fraud scheme through various business and personal bank accounts.
Several of the defendants used illegal proceeds from this scheme for personal transactions, including the construction of a new home in New Jersey, the purchase of jewelry, clothing, liquor, and spending at casinos, according to the indictment.
“Worksite enforcement is a crucial piece of the department’s Secure Border Initiative,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “This case in particular, where employers are alleged to have deliberately provided illegal aliens to employers, exemplifies precisely the type of illegal facilitation that must be stopped. We will continue to crack down on those who promote violations of the rule of law by knowingly or recklessly furnishing illegal workers and employing abusive labor practices.”
“ICE has no tolerance for companies that knowingly engage in the employment of illegal aliens," said ICE Assistant Secretary Julie Myers. "We will use all of our investigative tools to bring these unscrupulous employers to justice. Today’s arrests reflect our get-tough approach. ICE is committed to exposing all illegal activities undertaken by companies to support their employment of aliens unauthorized to work in the United States. Companies such as HV Connect, Inc., undermine our laws, which ultimately undermines legal American workers.”
The indictment charges the following defendants:
1. Trung “Tom” Q. Nguyen: operator of HV Connect and TN Job Service / arrested today in Philadelphia.
2. An “Andrew” Q. Nguyen: operator of HV Connect and TN Job Service / arrested today in Philadelphia.
3. Hon Vuong: operator of HV Connect / remains at large.
4. Mshenga Abdy Nasseb: operator of HV Connect and TN Job Service and employed to supervise aliens / remains at large.
5. Ridha Boughalmi: employed by operators of HV Connect and TN Job Service to supervise aliens / has agreed to voluntarily surrender to authorities.
6. Ashraf “Alex” M. Abdelwahed: operator of Alexandria Employment Agency in New York, a temporary employment agency that allegedly recruited aliens and assigned them to work for HV Connect in Ohio / arrested today in New York, N.Y.
7. Abdulrahman A. Mtumwa: employed by operators of HV Connect and TN Job Service to supervise aliens / arrested today in Columbus, Ohio.
8. Thao Thi Nguyen: wife of Trung Nguyen / arrested today in Philadelphia
9. Tai “Terry”Van Nguyen: operator of TN Job Service/ remains at large
10. HV Connect, Inc.
11. TN Job Service, Inc.
ICE ping!
Could say 'it's a start', but it isn't a drop in the ocean.
Tip of the iceberg!
Gee, a token enforcement, only 20 million to go and we may make a dent in Illegal employment.
This is a good start.
ROFL!
Bump!
This gets very close to some of our local politicians that share donors, (OTM) with Clinton.
They are arresting Vietnamese?
Havent seen any action in CA for over a year.
Forget hiring more Border Patrol and hire a ton of these guys. Start putting some compliance generating fear into the hearts of these employers, therefore forcing higher "citizen level wages" for these jobs, and the illegals will stop coming.
It's very interesting that not one defendant in this case has an Hispanic name....
If these "temporary agencies" are acquiring false documents for these "workers", I could see that as a huge national security risk. Terrorist cells could be set up under the radar with false documentation/jobs.
"And so, it begins."
I hope.
Illegal employment agencies are the choke point for illegal employment. Go after the businesses, and the owner calls his congressman. Go after the illegals directly and the community leaders calls their congressman. Go after the employment agencies and you choke off the illegals from the unlawful employer. Personally if I were king for the day, I tell the INS director to record all calls from meddling congressmen and have the DOJ issue a warrant for arrest for abuse of office. I would haul the bastard or bitch out of the Congressional chambers and stun gun them if they start to punch the officers.
Well...duh..
sw
I'd vote for that.
Look! See!
That's what this is...a looksee operation. They've busted this Vietnamese illegal alien operation, so we're supposed to think they're doing their job. And they are, but not frequently enough, in my opinion.
But...Look! See!
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