Thread: Border Fence Builder Hires Aliens

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- A Southern California fence company and two of its corporate officers pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court Thursday to knowingly hiring undocumented workers between 1999 and last year.

Golden State Fence Co., its president, Melvin Kay, and company Vice President Michael McLaughlin entered their pleas before U.S. District Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz.

Golden State is based in Riverside, and has offices in Oceanside, Bakersfield/Santa Paula, Palmdale, Anaheim and Brawley, according to the plea agreement.

In the late 1990s, Golden State was hired by the government and built more than one mile of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.

U.S. Attorney Carol Lam said prosecutors will urge the judge to give Kay and McLaughlin jail time -- probably between six and 12 months -- at a sentencing hearing set for March 28.

Historically, prosecutors don't seek jail time in cases in which a company knowingly hires illegal aliens, but the government insisted on being able to ask for custody in this case in part because of the size of the company and the amount of fraud, Lam said.

"This is an egregious case," Lam said.

Golden State pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of hiring unauthorized alien workers and agreed to forfeit $4.7 million in proceeds gained from the illegal activities.

The company also agreed to implement a compliance program to minimize the possibility of hiring unauthorized alien workers in the future. ;D

Ha! They should put that in the dictionary behind "Irony".

It's never going to stop.
They want to work, so there going to be hired.