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Montco-Based Asplundh Tree Expert to Pay $95 Million Fine, Largest Ever in an Immigration Case
NBC Philadelphia ^ | 9-28-17 | Brian X. McCrone

Posted on 09/28/2017 6:41:51 PM PDT by doug from upland

A Pennsylvania-based company has agreed to pay $95 million in criminal fines for illegally employing undocumented immigrants. The judgment is the largest of its kind in U.S. history, federal prosecutors said.

Asplundh Tree Expert, based in Willow Grove and described by federal officials as one of the largest privately-held companies in the country, pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Philadelphia, agreeing to an $80 million criminal forfeiture money judgment and a $15 million civil payment.

The scheme to unlawfully employ undocumented immigrants was perpetrated throughout the ranks of Asplundh from 2010 to December 2014, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Asplundh, a 90-year-old family owned business, specializes in ensuring utility lines are clear from tree branches. They employ more than 30,000 people in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

"The highest levels of Asplundh management remained willfully blind while lower level managers hired and rehired employees they knew to be ineligible to work in the United States," according to the statement. Asplundh incentivized managers who skirted immigration law, federal prosecutors said.

Company Chairman and CEO Scott Asplundh said in a statement posted to its website about "the DOJ matter" that Asplundh was aware of the federal investigation since 2015.

He said the company took "immediate correction action." "Consequently, the circumstances and practices of the past, which gave rise to the investigation, have been addressed and eliminated going forward," Asplundh said. He apologized to customers and accepted "responsibility for the charges."

The company also agreed to present a compliance program to the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. The program included revising hiring procedures to verify each ID examination for every new hire and implementing a photo ID card system.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: asplundh; fine; illegalaliens; jobs
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1 posted on 09/28/2017 6:41:52 PM PDT by doug from upland
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To: doug from upland

Who didn’t know that?


2 posted on 09/28/2017 6:47:05 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You cannot invade the mainland US. There'd be a rifle behind every blade of grass.)
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To: doug from upland

On to the Chicken Processing plants!
Then the Beef processing out west, then the home/ Business Construction Companies.

When they clean all that up they can go after all those employed by States and the Feds.


3 posted on 09/28/2017 6:49:03 PM PDT by VRWCarea51 (The Original 1998 Version)
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To: doug from upland

Good deal. If they cannot compete legally, they need to be hammered.


4 posted on 09/28/2017 6:49:20 PM PDT by boycott
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To: doug from upland

Where does that money go? Can it be applied toward the wall?


5 posted on 09/28/2017 6:50:08 PM PDT by americas.best.days... ( Donald John Trump has pulled the sword from the stone.)
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To: All

Started in 2015?

Must not have made a big enough donation to the Democrats to get a “We’ll look the other way” from 0bama / Lynch.


6 posted on 09/28/2017 6:53:05 PM PDT by LegendHasIt
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To: americas.best.days...; doug from upland
Where does that money go? Can it be applied toward the wall?

Excellent idea.

7 posted on 09/28/2017 6:53:54 PM PDT by thecodont
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To: doug from upland

Vermont dairy farms are almost exclusively staffed by illegals. They are sitting ducks for ICE. Go get ‘em.


8 posted on 09/28/2017 6:55:40 PM PDT by Combat_Liberalism
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To: doug from upland

Excellent news for all Americans. A major hurting needs to be put on the employers of illegals, or the job thefts will never stop.

Being a small business owner in the construction sector, I’ve personally been injured by unfair competition from unscrupulous business owners in my trade.

I can’t wait for the ripple effect to begin in my area. Maybe then, my family can finally get back to making professional level wages again.


9 posted on 09/28/2017 6:58:05 PM PDT by Windflier (Pitchforks and torches ripen on the vine. Left too long, they become black rifles.)
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To: americas.best.days...

Where does that money go? Can it be applied toward the wall?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Good question.

Barrack hussein bin soetoro would generally direct these fines to a soros type NGO

I think l read trump pulled the plug on that graft


10 posted on 09/28/2017 7:03:01 PM PDT by thinden
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To: doug from upland

You want to stop illegal immigration and make companies hire Americans? Fine the crap out of people who hire illegals.


11 posted on 09/28/2017 7:05:15 PM PDT by Crucial
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To: doug from upland

The fine should be applied to building the wall.


12 posted on 09/28/2017 7:07:20 PM PDT by PhiloBedo (You gotta roll with the punches, and get with what's real.)
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To: doug from upland

This is a company that is often subcontracted by electric utility companies to cut branches and trees overhanging power lines. The utility companies have often skipped this preventive maintenance and when the do, old Mr. Murphy rears his ugly head and sends severe storms to knock those trees and branches into the power lines causing prolonged blackouts. Too bad they can’t keep a legal workforce but when you see the labor pool available, its denizens are often seen swinging from trees and vines fueled by food stamp funded intoxicants instead of learning how to use ropes and saws to make a living.


13 posted on 09/28/2017 7:11:18 PM PDT by VietVet876
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To: doug from upland

We need more of this.
Home builders and their subcontractors.
Food processing.
Utilities installers.


14 posted on 09/28/2017 7:23:40 PM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizen Means Born Here Of Citizen Parents - Know Islam, No Peace -No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: doug from upland
A Pennsylvania-based company has agreed to pay $95 million in criminal fines for illegally employing undocumented immigrants.

Once again, the company is fined. In other words, the company's clients will pay the fine.

Asplundh incentivized managers who skirted immigration law, federal prosecutors said.

The incentivized managers and those doing/encouraging the incentivizing should be going to jail.

15 posted on 09/28/2017 7:23:40 PM PDT by upchuck (Circumvent can't.)
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To: VietVet876

Long ago I new a guy that worked for Asplundh, he also rode with the Chicago Outlaws.

He said most of his coworkers were Outlaws.

Guessing they were under bid for the work?


16 posted on 09/28/2017 7:43:01 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT (This Space for Rent)
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To: upchuck

“The incentivized managers and those doing/encouraging the incentivizing should be going to jail. “

Scalps nailed to the wall would look nice.

Beowulf nailed Grendel’s arm to the wall of the mead hall.


17 posted on 09/28/2017 7:49:09 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT (This Space for Rent)
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To: IncPen

ping


18 posted on 09/28/2017 8:18:23 PM PDT by Nailbiter
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To: VietVet876

You’re absolutely right


19 posted on 09/28/2017 8:45:26 PM PDT by Rj Snows
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To: Liz; AuntB; La Lydia; sickoflibs; stephenjohnbanker; Tolerance Sucks Rocks; 2ndDivisionVet; ...

PING


20 posted on 09/28/2017 10:53:31 PM PDT by Tennessee Nana
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