Virginia was at the center of a major federal investigation this week as managers and owners of 7-Eleven stores were arrested and accused of exploiting immigrant workers.
Nine owners and managers of stores in Virginia and Long Island, New York, were accused of making millions of dollars through the exploitation of immigrants from the Philippines and Pakistan.
Federal investigators said they used stolen Social Security Numbers of a child and three deceased people while stealing the wages of the workers, following a series of arrests on June 17, 2013.
“Federal indictments naming eight men and one woman allege that since 2000 they employed more than 50 immigrants who didn’t have permission to be in the U.S,” reported Associated Press.
The business owners are accused of seeking to conceal the immigrants’ employment by stealing the identities of 24 people and submitting this information to the 7-Elven payroll department.
The Washington Post reported a married couple, Farrukh Baig, 57, and Bushra Baig, 49, of Long Island, controlled the franchise rights to four 7-Eleven stores in Portsmouth, Norfolk and Chesapeake, VA.
Federal authorities raided 14 franchise stores. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are executing search warrants at more than 40 other stores across the country suspected of similar infractions.
The defendants face identity theft, wire fraud conspiracy and alien harboring charges. They face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy and other charges.
Immigration offenses are taken very seriously by the federal authorities. If you encourage or induce an alien to come to or live in the United States it is a crime when the person in question knows or recklessly disregards the fact that entry is illegal.
A violation of immigration laws alone may result in a sentence of up to 5 years in prison. If offenses were committed for financial gain, a defendant may be sentenced to 10 years. Business owners are subject to immigration laws. Anyone who knowingly hires 10 or more illegal aliens will face a 5 year sentence and a fine.
If you are charged with serious offenses brought by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and are facing the prospect of a long incarceration you should talk to an experienced Fairfax, VA criminal defense attorney.
