Story Published:
Oct 17, 2007 at 12:28 PM CST
Story Updated:
Oct 17, 2007 at 1:55 PM CST
SPRINGFIELD -- A federal grand jury believes seven managers at George's
Processing plant in Barry County intentionally hired illegal immigrants and worked to keep them in the United States.
The charges stem from an investigation that followed a raid at the plant near Butterfield on May 22.
At a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri
John Wood and his staff said the
investigation continues. They wouldn't answer questions about whether other company managers or the
poultry processing company itself could face charges.
The seven managers are in a variety of supervisory positions, including in the Human Resources department.
They are all in positions involved with the hiring and employment process at
George's.
The seven people face charges of harboring
illegal immigrants for commercial advantage or private financial gain, aiding
and abetting others to encourage illegal immigrants to enter or stay in the United States, and aiding
and abetting identity theft so employees could pretend to be U.S. citizens.
For convictions, the first two charges could carry prison sentences up to 10 years.
The third charge could carry a prison sentence up to two years. The penalties could also include fines.
The indicted people are Guadalupe
Castro of Verona, Brad Vansandt
of Monett, Dora
Ruiz of Monett, Jody
Salinas of Cassville, Billy
Essley of Cassville, Gary
Creed of Washburn, andlang=en-us AN>
Hilda
Gomez, address unknown. The grand jury returned the indictments on
Tuesday. Federal prosecutors made them public after all seven were
arrested.
The raid in May resulted in the detention of 136 employees of George's. Federal
officials said Wednesday that 30 of those have been returned to their home
countries -- Mexico and Guatemala. Another 28 are charged with identity theft
and immigration law violations, and 21 have pleaded guilty to those charges.
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