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According to STLToday.com, an industrial supply company was sentenced to one year of probation Tuesday and forfeited $150,000 and an SUV for hiring more than 10 undocumented immigrants, prosecutors said.
J & J Industrial Supply Inc., which does business as Industrial Wiping Cloths & Supplies, admitted using illegal aliens to supplement their work force since 2008.
Owner Jerry McArthur drove five immigrants to the Mexican consulate in Kansas City on Sept. 27 to get identification cards so they would have something should they come in contact with police, prosecutors said.
He was stopped for speeding in St. Charles County on the way back.
The company paid the $150,000 Tuesday and has to forfeit the 2011 Toyota Highlander McArthur used for the trip.
J & J pleaded guilty Oct. 18 to knowingly and intentionally hiring more than 10 illegal aliens. McArthur was not charged.
"Today's sentence should serve as a stern warning to employers who perpetuate a shadow economy by hiring an illegal workforce," said Gary Hartwig, head of the Chicago office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Homeland Security Investigations. "
In criminal cases against companies, prosecutors' only option in seeking punishment is essentially probation and a fine. The company would be subject to additional punishment should it violate the terms of probation. |
