Posted on 01/07/2018 8:57:39 AM PST by Wolfie
Michigan dairy farmer gets prison time for hiring undocumented immigrants
A Michigan dairy farmer is to spend a couple of years in federal prison and owes a six-figure fine for hiring undocumented immigrants.
U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington on Thursday, Jan. 4, sentenced Denis Burke to two years in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Ludington did not order Burke taken into custody on Thursday, but gave him time to self-report to the U.S. Marshals Services.
The judge also ordered Burke to pay a fine of $187,500 and an assessment fee of $100.
Burke in September pleaded guilty to knowingly harboring illegal aliens for private gain and/or commercial advantage.
In exchange for his plea, the prosecution dismissed four more counts of the same charge.
Burke's wife and codefendant, Madeline Burke, in June pleaded guilty to one count of hiring without verification of employment eligibility. In September, she received two years' probation and was also ordered to pay the same fine with monthly installments of $15,600.
The Burkes own Parisville Dairy in Huron County and Dunganstown Dairy in Tuscola County. Between February 2008 and May 2013, the couple hired and harbored more than 100 undocumented immigrants to work on their farms, Denis Burke's plea agreement states.
"Denis Burke gave the illegal aliens free housing on or next to his farms so the illegal aliens would be readily available for work and less accessible to immigration authorities," the document states. "Because the illegal aliens lacked valid documentation, they could not get driver's licenses, open accounts at financial institutions so they could cash paychecks themselves, or register vehicles with the Michigan Secretary of State."
As a result of this, the workers relied on others to drive them around.
On Feb. 1, 2013, a Bad Axe police officer pulled over a vehicle driven by Yolanda Stewart and containing five passengers. All of the passengers were undocumented immigrants working at the Burkes' farms.
Denis Burke was aware that Stewart regularly drove his employees to town so they could go shopping and wire money to their families in other countries, the plea agreement states. Investigators found paystubs from the farms, MoneyGram receipts, and an identification document issued by the Mexican consulate in Stewart's car.
Stewart's five passengers were arrested. As a result, his remaining employees were afraid to leave the farms. Denis Burke thus paid Stewart $800 to buy groceries for his workers so the farms could continue operating, the document states.
In July 2016, Stewart pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport, harbor, and shield illegal aliens from detection for private financial gain. In November, a judge sentenced her to 27 months in federal prison.
A grand jury had indicted the Burkes in September 2016.
They’re gonna quarter the restaurateurs.
They wanted a slam dunk conviction, to send a message, so they’re starting with the most egregious offenders.
Go to hell. I want all the illegals out, but if they want to find them, all they have to do is go to any restaurant or construction site. Seems a little out of the way. Throw a couple restaurant owners in jail, and millions go running back to Mexico, unemployed.
Good. About F’ing time.
THINGS could get VERY interesting on the West Coast....
This law should be applied to any group or individual who pays an illegal alien in return for any kind of service. So if you’ve hired a maid or gardener or painter or roofer and that person is an illegal, you’re going to jail.
One doesn't send a message. One thousand would. This is only a good beginning.
WTF, every damn restaurant employs illegals, and they go after a dairy farmer?
Mega businessman you mean
the couple hired and harbored more than 100 undocumented immigrants to work on their farms.
Really, must not have been a big enough DNC/GOPe donor.
Yes, this guy went all out in catering to his invader workforce.
The prosecutors couldn’t have asked for a better case.
Hopefully MESSAGE RECEIVED.
PING
They are starting with offenders that have “small” pockets.
It’s a very small start to a very large problem, unfortunately in the really major corporations where this is the company policy, it will only be lower to maybe some middle management that pay. The law still needs to be enforced, something that hasn’t happened for more than just that last maladministration, it’s just that corporate bosses really don’t mind paying fines with other peoples money.
Spread the word... Hire illegals, go to jail.
I know, kind of pisses me off.
Very true. All Sessions needs to do is arrest a big player, and the rest will think twice. He could dovetail this plan by going after one of the big California weed growers.
Yup. You make a point by making an example of a major employer, not Juan’s Taco Stand.
You’re the first to acknowledge a more realistic number. 30 million easily, probably a lot more... sadly.
There are probably 11 million in CA and Texas alone.
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