Two supervisors charged with luring illegal immigrants

Cedar Rapids Gazette ^ | 07/03/2008 | Alicia Ebaugh

[iowamark]

CEDAR RAPIDS - Two supervisors at the Agriprocessors kosher meatpacking plant in Postville on Thursday became the first known members of the company's management to be arrested after a federal immigration raid of the company in May.

A federal arrest warrant has been issued for another Agriprocessors employee whose whereabouts are unknown.

Juan Carlos Guerrero-Espinoza, 35, and Martin De La Rosa-Loera, 43, are accused of encouraging illegal immigrants to work at the plant, in some cases even helping them obtain false documents before the raid.

The two men were arrested at Agriprocessors on Thursday morning by U.S. marshals and were held on a U.S. Department of Homeland Security bus in the parking lot behind the temporary federal courthouse at 4200 C St. SW, Cedar Rapids, before their initial court appearances Thursday afternoon.

De La Rosa-Loera oversees the plant's poultry kill facility, and Guerrero-Espinoza is in charge of the beef kill, according to court records. Guerrero-Espinoza is a U.S. citizen, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Pete Deegan Jr. He did not reveal De La Rosa-Loera's citizenship status.

The charges are related to the May 12 Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at Agriprocessors that detained 389 workers, most of them Guatemalan and Mexican, for immigration violations. Of those, 300 were convicted and deported.

The supervisors were indicted by a federal grand jury after a former human resources employee and illegal immigrants at Agriprocessors testified last month, according to court records. They told investigators of an effort by the men to update employee documents in the weeks before the raid.

The week before the raid, Guerrero-Espinoza told some of his employees to give him $200 for new documentation to continue working at the company, court records state. Some of the workers testified that he asked them for an extra $20 to cover the cost of gasoline or serve as his commission. On the day before the raid, the workers were provided new application packets complete with fake resident alien cards to sign and return.

Employees were aware that "company officials were concerned about ICE agents in Waterloo," the complaints state.

Information about ICE renting buildings at the National Cattle Congress in Waterloo came out in early May, but the agency would not reveal why it was in Waterloo. After the raid, the Cattle Congress grounds were used to house detained workers and process them through initial court appearances.

Both men face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the charges. Guerrero-Espinoza is facing an additional charge of aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft, which could get him another sentence of up to 15 years.

ICE officials are seeking the public's help in locating Hosam Amara, 43, last known to live in Postville. The criminal complaint against him has been sealed until his arrest. Anyone with information is asked to call ICE at 1-(888) 347-2423.

Agriprocessors officials did not return messages for comment Thursday. Federal prosecutors did not say whether more members of management would face charges.

Guerrero-Espinoza and De La Rosa-Loera will be held at the Cedar County Jail until their detention hearings Monday. They will be arraigned July 17.

[iowamark]

Escorted by U.S. marshals, Juan Carlos Guerrero-Espinoza (left) and Martin De La Rosa-Loera (right) walk into the federal courthouse at 4200 C St. SW. in Cedar Rapids on Thursday. Guerrero-Espinoza is accused of encouraging illegal immigrants to live in the United States in violation of law, aiding and abetting the possession and use of fraudulent identification documents and aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft. De La Rosa-Loera is accused of encouraging illegal immigrant to live in the United States in violation of law and aiding and abetting the possession and use of fraudulent identification documents. Both were employed as supervisors by Agriprocessors in Postville

[iowamark]

May 12: Hundreds arrested in immigration raid at Postville(Iowa) plant

[Hugin]

Ironically, we can thank the Democrats for the recent upsurge in enforcement against employers, although wholely unintended on their part. They were the ones who pushed for the creation of a Homeland Security Department, and in so doing split the functions of Immigration control and Naturalization into two separate agencies. While they were combined, INS could ignore enforcement and still push for ever increased budgets based on their ever increasing numbers of legal immigrants seeking citizenship. Now there is a separate agency that can only justify it's budget based on immigration enforcement. And the #1 priority of any Federal bureaucracy is to grow and get bigger budgets. Therefore for the first time in decades there is a force in the government truly dedicated to enforcing immigration law. As Reagan said, nothing is as immortal in this world as a Federal agency.

[eclecticEel]

Two supervisors at the Agriprocessors kosher meatpacking plant in Postville on Thursday became the first known members of the company's management to be arrested after a federal immigration raid of the company in May.

Progress! Nothing brings a smile to my face like watching fatcats squirm.

[stravinskyrules]

When does McCain demand their release and Medal of Freedom?

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

FWIW, McCain just told the Mexicans, in Mexico of all places, that we needed to build more border fence.

[RJL]

FWIW, McCain just told the Mexicans, in Mexico of all places, that we needed to build more border fence.

Can you point me to a report of this?

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

McCain on immigration

It's mixed in with the usual claptrap about guestworkers, but he does make the point that the border must be secured first, or something more or less to that effect.

Like I said, FWIW, and I am not exactly a member in good standing of the John McCain Fan Club.

[rrrod]

WAITAMINUTE..... I have a question....
If we can arrest these guys then cant we arrest govs, members of congress?

[Haddit]

Enforcing the law, what a unique concept.

[Liz]

Back in 7/2/06 AgriProcessors Inc, Postville, Iowa, renowned as the world’s largest kosher slaughterhouse, received a grand jury subpoena requesting documents from the slaughterhouse, and its suppliers, for possible antitrust practices and was cooperating with the investigation. A telephone number listed for AgriProcessors Inc. was out of service preventing reporters from following-up the allegations. AgriProcessors employs about 700 people. Their meat is sold under the brands Iowa’s Best Beef, Rubashkin’s and Aaron’s Best.

[Will88]

“Juan Carlos Guerrero-Espinoza, 35, and Martin De La Rosa-Loera, 43, are accused of encouraging illegal immigrants to work at the plant, in some cases even helping them obtain false documents before the raid.”

I’m shocked, shocked, to learn that company official are luring illegals to jobs and actually helping them obtain false documents.

Start marching CEOs and other top executives off in handcuffs and we’ll see some real progress in workplace enforcement.

Of course, the bought and paid for low lifes in DC would like at anytime to end enforcement by granting amnesty to all.

[Liz]

Agri-Processors' Menachem and Tzippa Rubashkin (relatives through marriage of a Brooklyn rabbi accused of misappropriating $700,000 in federal funds) contributed more than $20,000 to the mayoral campaign of Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY).

Records show Menachem and Tzippa Rubashkin each wrote checks for $4,500 on July 11, 2004 to Weiner's campaign. The Rubashkin family operates AgriProcessors Inc. in Iowa, one of the nation's largest kosher meat packaging plants. Last year, various Rubashkin family members contributed $20,000 to Florida Rep. Katharine Harris and another $20,000 to Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter.

In Dec 2005, the Rubashkin's Iowa plant was cited for violations of the Clean Water Act.

Rabbi Balkany, principal of Bais Yaakov day school, rounded up so much money for politicians in the 1990s---including Rudy Giuliani-- that the good-government group Common Cause labeled Balkany "the Brooklyn Bundler."

Politicians began steering clear of the rabbi after prosecutors in 2003 charged him with diverting $700,000 in federal funds to pay for his own life insurance, credit-card bills, and his federal income taxes. According to a criminal complaint unsealed by Manhattan federal prosecutors, Rabbi Balkany also diverted $300,000 in federal tax grants to an Israeli company where Balkany’s son-in-law is an officer, and another $5,000 in tax monies to a New York import company where another son-in-law is president.

Rabbi Balkany escaped punishment when a lien was placed on his property. Balkany avoided prosecution by agreeing to return the money to the Department of Housing & Urban Development and to engage in "good behavior" for six months. Since then, he has kept a relatively low profile. But Balkany's large extended family has continued to write large campaign checks.

Campaign filings show that Menachim Balkany, principal of Krasna Yeshiva, Brooklyn — son of Rabbi Milton Balkany — gave Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) $4,500 on July 1, 2004. Two other Balkanys, Levi and Sarah, chipped in $4,000 apiece. That was near the $4,950 maximum allowed per individual under the city's campaign finance rules.

Agri-Processors' Menachem and Tzippa Rubashkin (relatives through marriage) contributed more than $20,000 to Weiner's mayoral campaign against Bloomberg.

After being questioned by reporters about the contributions, Weiner said he was giving the money back. "Out of an abundance of caution we are returning the donations," said Weiner spokesman.

Weiner had previously returned $9,250 rounded up by a Brooklyn pharmacy owner after it was reported that some contributors had no idea their names were on money orders made out to Weiner's campaign.

[bcsco]

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Here's wishing a patriotic, safe and memorable Fourth of July to all...

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[Bigg Red]

Start marching CEOs and other top executives off in handcuffs and we’ll see some real progress in workplace enforcement.

&&
Amen!

[B4Ranch]

>>The week before the raid, Guerrero-Espinoza told some of his employees to give him $200 for new documentation to continue working at the company, court records state. Some of the workers testified that he asked them for an extra $20 to cover the cost of gasoline or serve as his commission. On the day before the raid, the workers were provided new application packets complete with fake resident alien cards to sign and return.

Employees were aware that “company officials were concerned about ICE agents in Waterloo,” the complaints state.<<

This shows me that their bosses told them to update the identities of the employees. They need to be charged too.

[GATOR NAVY]

I’m shocked, shocked, to learn that company official are luring illegals to jobs and actually helping them obtain false documents.

Hmmmm...Juan Carlos Guerrero-Espinoza and Martin De La Rosa-Loera...any takers that these two were hired specifically for their abilities to lure illegals and help them obtain false documents?

[wolfcreek]

“I believe we must have comprehensive immigration reform, but the American people want our borders secured first,” McCain said.

Sounds a bit condescending doesn't it?

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

If it didn’t, I wouldn’t believe John McCain said it.

[Kimberly GG]

aghhh....I don’t think I can take 4 years of his ego, attitude and condescension. Every time he says, “my friend” I want to throw up....’cause you know who else ALWAYS says that with a wicked grin....his buddy, what’s his name, Guiterrez? I wanna crawl through the tv and wipe that grin off his face.