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!
ping
Uh...I hate to tell you this, but Travis McGee is no longer with us. That screenname has been banned.
I'm going to look for a thread that goes with this in a moment. I'll bump you back when I find it.
There was some odd money laundering thing going on with a charity in NJ and some large companies that donated to this charity that sent money to Vietnam.
John Smith declined an interview.
Good Observation!
Where is Cardinal Mahony in protecting these individuals rights!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1597900/posts
Accused Alien Smuggling Kingpin and Financier Faces U.S. Prosecution
"Sister Ping" Brought to Justice After Eluding U.S. Officials For Ten Years
Washington, DC - The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), announced today that Chui Ping Cheng aka "Sister Ping," has been extradited from Hong Kong to the United States. Cheng, an accused human smuggler and financier, has unsuccessfully waged a three-year extradition battle to elude American prosecution.
Cheng has been a fugitive since her 1994 New York indictment, as well as a superseding indictment in 2000 from New York, for alien smuggling, kidnapping, hostage taking and money laundering. In April 2000, she was arrested in Hong Kong after an intensive five-year worldwide investigation by ICE and the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(snip)
Preying on Human Cargo
By Michael Maiello and Susan Kitchens, Forbes, May 20, 2004
This detailed article looks at the "shadowy contractors" who hook up illegal immigrants and arrange to get them jobs with service companies that offer cheap labor to corporate America.
Specifically, this article discusses the case of Kenneth Clancy, who ran "Facilities Solutions," a janitorial contracting firm that allegedly employed Mexican illegal immigrants to clean Wal-Mart stores around the United States. It is estimated that Clancy's five cleaning operations generated revenues of $500,000 annually; a member of his cleaning crew mand $350 per week.
It also looks at Cheng Chui Ping, known as "Sister Ping," who smuggled thousands of Chinese into the United States. Ping, now in jail, used gangs such as the Chinese "Fuk Ching" or the Vietnamese "Born to Kill" to manage newly arrived illegal immigrants and collect smuggling fees usually paid by relatives. Most of the illegal immigrants then spent years at below-minimum-wage jobs such as dishwashers to reimburse their families. It is believed that Sister Ping earned more than $30 million over the 15 years she engaged in people smuggling.
Petr Pospisil, recruited people from his native Czech Republic, put them in low-paying jobs, and took as much as $2 per hour from every worker he placed in addition to charging them rent and uitlities for cramped living quarters he provided. Pospisil's profits are estimated to have been $100,000 per month.
Maybe they can also be charged with some EEOC violations while we're at it. ;^)
ping
Bookmark
Gee, a token enforcement, only 20 million to go and we may make a dent in Illegal employment.
IMO- Closer to 40 million.
Who wants to bet that NONE of these perps was born in the USA?
If they were part of the boat people that Carter let in the USA after Niet Nam, this is another nail in the coffin of the worst president this country ever had. Clinton was just the most immoral.
We have 11-30 million illegals in this country and the arrest of 6 makes news! rofl!!!!!
How telling is that.
Bump be bump bump
Post 27 is closer to that though.
Ping, Cheng and company brought the rest in.
Some campagn monies can be traced to Clinton, Torricelli and the ilk.
FREEPER ACTIVISM Publicly-held companies engaged in activities----hiring illegals----are violating their fiducoary duties. Remember, the SEC wants to know if publicly-held companies, their execs and Board of Directors put shareholders' investments at risk - either by utilizing risky short-term wage gains, or violating accounting laws with regard to Sarbanes-Oxley. Fraudulent filings or not filing with the IRS could also play a huge part in this. EMAIL your concerns to enforcement@SEC.gov
FREEPER ACTIVISM: Every civic-minded citizen who is aware of municipalities and duly elected officials encouraging ILLEGALS to break the law, to unlawfully vote using fraudulent documentation, aiding and abetting lawbreaking, and/or enabling felonious activity should report to the proper law enforcement authorities.
FREEPER ACTIVISM: Aiding and abetting lawbreaking, and enabling felonious activity should be reported. If your state and town's elected and appointed officials are misusing tax funds for illegal purposes, investors and holders of tax-exempt bonds for transportation and highways, municipal school bonding, utilities bonding, and the like, have been placed in financial jeopardy. The SEC should be advised of yours, and bondholders, concerns. EMAIL enforcement@SEC.gov
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREEPER ACTIVISM: If municipalities advertising and using ballot referenda for tax-exempt municipal, transportation and highway bonds, municipal school bonding, utilities bonding, and the like, are ignorsing illegal voting practices, are aiding and abetting illegals activities, and ignoring fraudulent documentation, they are violating their fiduciary responsibility and engaging in felonious activity. They could be held criminally liable. The SEC should be advised of your concerns. EMAIL enforcement@SEC.gov.
FREEPER ACTIVISM: If the bonding agents for tax-exempt municipal transportation and highways, municipal school bonding, utilities bonding, and the like, are ignoring illgal activities, the SEC should be advised of your concerns. EMAIL enforcement@SEC.gov.
FREEPER ACTIVISM Most bonding agents conducting municipal business are registered broker-dealers and members of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). NASD and SIPC should also be contacted regarding your concerns about illegal activity.
FREEPER ACTIVISM Banks doing bonding business with states and municipalities that are conducting illegal activity are violatuing their fiduciary duties, and jeopardizing bank patrons, shareholders, and depositors and should be reported as follows: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is the primary federal regulator for national banks. The OCC's Customer Assistance Group is available to assist customers with questions or complaints concerning national banks. Email to Customer.Assistance@occ.treas.gov.
General information about the Customer Assistance Group is available at the web site: http://www.occ.treas.gov/customer.htm.
FREEPER ACTIVISM If duly elected officials are encouraging ILLEGALS to break the law, to obtain the unlawful right to vote using fraudulent documentation, and if elected and appointed officals did, in fact, allow illegals to break the law to serve on municipal councils, and if illegals are making monetary (taxing) decisions for U.S. Citizens, this might be a violation of the Hobbs Act......
If elected and appointed officials took campaign contributions from said illegals, this could be characterized as extortion, and/or bribery, and a violation of the Hobbs Act. The Hobbs Act was used recently to nail four Tenn state legislators and their aids in an extortion scheme. The TENN groups was arrested under the federal Hobbs Act, charging extortion, conspiracy to extort and attempted extortion, and accepting bribes by an agent of the state.
The Hobbs Act covers extortion by public officials, as follows: 2403 Hobbs Act -- Extortion By Force, Violence, or Fear. In order to prove a violation of Hobbs Act extortion by the wrongful use of actual or threatened force, violence, or fear...............
SOURCE October 1997 Criminal Resource Manual 2403 http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title9/crm02403.htm
ping
Politician's SOLUTION: Step One- Go after the wage earning taxpayer for more tax money to pay for the social, educational etc. costs of the illegals.
Step Two- Watch the corporate money flow in to your election fund.
Step Three- Keep enough summer days open on schedule for all those corporate freebie golf outings at expensive hotels and private clubs. (Remember- If they don't offer a private jet, just say, "Great, but I have no way of getting there.")
Pay to play
FREEPER ACTIVISM------REPORT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND REGULATORY AGENCIES ONLY
Thanks.
I just spent a chunk of my day drafting letters to my senators, congresswoman, and GOP (national and state organizations) to insist that they show some backbone against illegal immigration. It feels futile sometimes, but putting it on paper (or electrons . . . ) at least helps me to put my thoughts together so I can answer my kids' questions more intelligently!
The more pressure we keep on Mexico, immigration-wise, the more reformers
inside of Mexico can be emboldened and empowered to scale back monopolists'
abuses down there which keep our own country flooded with economic refugees.
Here's an interesting new thread on new legal reform progress that finally
emerged in Mexico I think as a result of immigration reform's failure:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1611677/posts
We can make a difference for our sake, and their's as well. Isn't it the
neighborly thing to do?
This thread is not about Mexico.
Asians and Arabs. What a combo...
Heard on Fox that some of the illegals paid up $25,000-$35,000 to enter the US. Does this sound like a poor person coming to wash dishes? It sounds like some Al Queda money to me, being used to place terrorists where they want them for the next attack on this country, though of course, the Fox piece said the government didn't think this had anything to do with terrorists. Will any of us be shocked when it becomes obvious that they have lied to us?
Thanks for the info.
The illegals coming in from the human smuggling are not Al Qaeda. They are brought in for slave labor.
You are right.
It seems to me if terrorists come here illegally all they have to do is contact one of these groups that support/hire/assist illegals and the group will do the rest for them. False documents and a job = pretty good cover, through little or no effort on the part of the terrorists.
Once they're here they're basically sold as sweatshop labor until the 'debt' is paid off. Usually there's a small 'finance charge' that would make a mafia juice loan enforcer blush.
Then there's always the ones who are lied to about work in a 'garment factory' and who are instead sold into brothels. Of course there's also a hefty charge for the 'room and board' in addition to the money owed.
The result is that these people are kept as virtual chattel slaves in the sex business or in the sweatshops.
Either way this 'Sister Ping' person is no better than the slave traders of the 17th and 18th centuries. She deserves a fair trial and then the business end of a stout piece of hempen rope.
L
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