A 36-year-old man from Raleigh has pleaded guilty to charges that he illegally recruited and induced foreign nationals to come from Israel to the United States on B-2 visitor visas. Once they arrived, the man would employ them at his kiosk businesses in malls in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Virginia.
The Department of Justice’s U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia released a statement about the man’s guilty plea. According to the release, the man and other co-conspirators paid for the people to get to the U.S., put them up in leased apartments, paid the workers in cash, gift cards and wire transfers. This allowed him to avoid paying employment taxes. The man’s company, which was a collection of many business entities, earned more than $14 million through its kiosk sales.
Nine of the 10 defendants in the case have been arrested and this man is the fourth one to plead guilty. One of the defendants was recently arrested and extradited from Romania.
The man could face up to 25 years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for October.
If you are charged with a federal crime, you will need to locate an attorney who is experienced in federal court. There are many things that are handled differently in federal court. For example, there is no parole for federal inmates.
Your defense strategy is important and your attorney will be able to help you determine what your legal options are. While it can be very frightening to be facing federal charges, you can expect your attorney have your best interests in mind.
Source: oig.dol.gov, “Owner of Mall Kiosk Businesses Pleads Guilty to Immigration and Money Laundering Charges,” July 06, 2016