Employers in Pennsylvania should heed the warnings of this story – it can be quite costly to hire illegal workers. Robert Kramer of Philadelphia was sentenced to one year of probation, including six months of home confinement, after he plead guilty to charges of knowingly employing illegal immigrants at a chain of car washes. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigated Kramer, which turned up over 50 illegal immigrants at Car Care, Inc. The business operated more than 50 car washes in six states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
According to ICE, Kramer hired undocumented workers, gave those workers the names of former employees, and then paid the undocumented workers with checks in the names of the former employees. U.S. District Court Judge Darnell C. Jones, II, ordered Kramer to pay a $75,000 fine to be paid with personal, not corporate, funds. Judge Jones also ordered Kramer to perform, at the Court’s direction, community service.
Increased investigations and I-9 audits, coupled with ICE’s prerogative to collect civil penalties from employers and individuals, necessitate the maintenance of organized I-9 files.
For more information on worksite compliance, ICE enforcement actions, and how these developments impact your business please visit our website www.worksite-compliance.com or consult with a Klasko Law attorney.
