Posted on 02/07/2003 7:09:34 AM PST by Indy Pendance
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- A U.S. Border Patrol agent who posed as an immigrant smuggler during an undercover investigation of Tyson Foods testified that some company managers were ready customers.
Prosecutors in the meat giant's federal conspiracy trial Thursday also played secretly recorded tapes that agent Benito Maldonado testified were his telephone conversations with Tyson managers.
While the government claims the smuggling was part of a conspiracy that reached to the top levels of Tyson, the company contends any hiring of illegal immigrants was done by a few plant managers and was not known to executives.
Outside the courtroom, Tyson spokesman Gary Michelson said the tapes "involve former Tyson employees who violated company hiring policies and were subsequently terminated."
In testimony Thursday, Maldonado identified a voice on one such tape as Tyson's Monroe, N.C., plant manager, Robert Sanford, saying he needed hundreds of workers.
"Hell, I put over 700 people to work," said the voice identified by the agent as Sanford. "I'm going to need to replace 300 or 400 people - maybe 500. I'm going to need a lot."
Court records have identified Sanford as an unindicted coconspirator in the case.
Springfield, Ark.-based Tyson and three company officials are charged with conspiring to smuggle illegal immigrants to work on the production lines of the nation's largest poultry processor.
The three company officials named in the indictment - Gerald Lankford, 63, of North Wilkesboro, N.C., Robert Hash, 49, of Greenwood, Ark., and Keith Snyder, 42, of Bella Vista, Ark. - all maintain their innocence.
Maldonado, who said he was known to Tyson as Benjamin, described picking up eight illegal immigrants outside a warehouse near where they sneaked across Mexico's border into Del Rio, Texas, in January 1998.
He said a total of 136 illegal immigrants were taken to Tyson plants in six states. Another 18 illegals were intercepted before reaching Cumming, Ga.
Prosecutors contend the conspiracy began in 1994 after Tyson plant managers had trouble hiring cheap legal help for its poultry plants.
If convicted, Tyson could face millions in fines and the loss of government contracts. The jury also will decide the amount of any financial gain from using illegal workers.
I also wonder if there is any connections between these people and the white house criminals. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if we found out one of these three had an 'accident'.
Illegal immigration blossomed in the '90s. Hmmmmm.
Yeah, they could be run over by a forklift or somethin'....
But even if the feds do nail a few plant managers and supervisors, and it really looks more like they're being taken out of the way to keep the responsibility from passing up the ladder, the real connection between the company policies and the Clinton organized crime family is going to be John Tyson, and so far we see no indication that the feds are really going after him.Of course, if they can get convictions at the managerial level, some interesting RICO actions might prove interesting.
-archy-/-
But it won't be over for Tyson/IBP at that point. There are still class action lawsuits that can be brought under RICO statutes. The affected former citizen employees can file suit for their own damages. Anyone employed within the last 4 years is eligible. The damages there could go even higher. The Tyson lawyers may be looking at a decade in court.
And finally, this is a bust-up-the-line, similar to the way the government goes after drug kingpins. They don't care about little guys like these hiring managers. They want Mr. Don "I like Beel Cleenton" Tyson himself. Don Smaltz, the Special Prosecutor who looked at Tyson and Mike Espy was outraged by what he found, but was only able to get Espy on a low charge which I think was dropped when he resigned (can't remember the exact disposition).
I would bet that every federal attorney is aware of what Smaltz found with this company, and they are chomping at the bit to get at them.
But they don't do that when the discrimination is against white (or even black) Americans. Equal Protection under the law...right.
What I wonder about is how the Pet food Co. can mixed pork, beef,or chicken in the same can and the pets don't get e-coli?
There is so much miss imformation out there. Those of you over 50 we never had these situation before. I am not saying it is not a good idea to clean the equiptment for that should be done. What I am trying to say is I am sure there have been slothful co. who practice were less than desireable yet we did not have all this ourbreak!
Many of us were lucky to have parents who told us stories from the pass generations. This protected many of us to be aware and not allow the "Wool be pulled over our eyes".
I sure many of you have notices I am not good with the written word. But I feel somehow we need to inform the future generation of the Cons the Husters employ on the gullible. Now it is important that the future generations wise-up. They sure are not getting this basic knowledge in many of the homea for common sence, or in the schools where their mind are dumb down for robotic future!
If they get some sham guest worker program through, the same thing will happen to blue-collar workers, what's left of them that has to high-tech programmers- they'll be displaced for cheaper labor legally even more than what's going on now with illegal aliens.
Exactly where does Congress think all these unemployed Americans are going to find work? If the Republicans go along with it, they can kiss their majority goodbye.
Beats me. It seems to me that both Bush and Congress have decided that they'll just keep borrowing and expanding the government to try and stave off the inevitable - mass unemployment and economic collapse. Gosh, George, we hardly kney ye...a Keynesian after all!
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