Posted on 02/15/2017 3:11:43 PM PST by 11th_VA
Willow Grove-based Asplundh Tree Expert Co. is huge, privately owned corporation with more than 36,000 employees and estimated annual sales of $3.5 billion, according to Forbes, which counts it as one of America’s largest private companies. But now, Asplundh finds itself the recipient of some very unwelcome attention thanks to charges just filed in federal court.
An Asplundh vice president, Larry Gauger, 45, of Wayne, has been charged with visa fraud and conspiracy relating to his work at the company. Two other Asplundh managers have been charged as well, according to the Department of Justice, but their names have yet to be released.
According to a charging document filed in federal court in Philadelphia on Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security audited Asplundh’s employment records and determined that some of its workers were ineligible to work in the United States. The employees were fired.
Homeland Security determined that approximately 100 of those employees had been working in a division managed by Gauger. The feds allege that Gauger instructed his team’s supervisors and foremen to accept working credentials that they knew to be fraudulent and illegally obtained.
Gauger is also accused of directing his managers to rehire under false identification employees who had been fired as a result of the Homeland Security audit. Investigators point to two specific instances involving undocumented immigrants who presented bogus Social Security cards. The charges allege that Gauger knew that the Social Security cards were “forged, counterfeited, altered, falsely made, or otherwise procured by fraud.
Huge company. Has the tree trimming contract for a number of utilities here in SE Michigan. They hit a clump of grape vine on my neighbors property last time they were here. Creative swearing!
CC
This is huge, it will spread the word to other companies that they cannot be hiring illegals. Once we take the bird feeder away, the birds will no longer be flocking here.
No, say it ain’t so!
/ sarc
When the crews speak absolutely not a single lick of English or frontier gibberish, there’s a problem.
I hope you’re right. It is interesting DHS did the employee audit
Put the executives in jail, deport the illegals & all this crap will stop - almost as good as building the wall.
They should look at S&N Communications, contractor for Verizon. They had a crew of Guatemalans dig up my yard putting their Fios fiber optic in.
I know they were Guatemalans because I went out and asked them.
They should also look at Caltrans.
ML/NJ
Agreed and dont stop here. GO to all the meat and chicken processing plants in the USA and do ICE raids and pull their records—run immediate verifications on the SS #s they have on file —when they are found to be fraudulent: arrest the illegals AND the company Managers-ALL of them and padlock the door. That will send a BIG and immediate message.
They can ONLY reopen if they immediately place ads and allow ICE Agents to determine each applicant’s eligibility and oversee the hiring process.
Now we will see if illegals do work citizens wont do.
They have contracts with many government bodies, federal, state and local, and with many businesses that by law cant do business with them now.
So we shall see if Citizens emerge to do this work. Or other immigrants snap it up.
When Satyam IT consulting firm was convicted and lost all of its business in the space of 2 months, did any citizen owned or citizen consultant oriented firm seize the opportunity?
No. No American cosulting firm even tried to get the business. Tata, Infosys and other immigrant firms saw the opportunity and grabbed it.
Sounds like a certain midstate “dead Christmas tree” merchant.
Burn him. Better yet throw the bastard into a wood chipper feet first.
I have a small construction company. It will stay small because I cannot find anyone who wants to work. It is the same with anyone I talk to who is in the biz.
+1. LOL!
Offer more money, you get what you pay for. Or go out of business.
Now if they can only do it in the South and Southeast.
Like the other comments..vigorously prosecuting the employers hiring illegals will facilitate the self-deportations.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.