ICE Enforces I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification “Culture of Compliance” with Civil and Criminal Charges Against Ohio Mexican Restaurant Operator

The owner of eight Casa Fiesta restaurants Ohio has been charged by the Department of Justice with eight counts of harboring and concealing illegal aliens, three counts of mail fraud and seven counts of subscribing to a false tax return stemming from July 2008 raids by federal agencies.  Ramon Ornelas of Norwalk, Ohio, owned Casa Fiesta restaurants in Youngstown, Vermilion, Ashland, Norwalk, Fremont, Oberlin, Oregon and Sandusky.

The Mexican restaurants were raided July 23, 2008, which resulted in the arrests of 58 undocumented Mexican employees. All 58 arrested have either been deported or will be deported. The federal government alleges Ornelas employed undocumented workers, failed to obtain proper immigration documents and sometimes provided them places to live.  The information states that Ornelas routinely paid workers in cash without withholding FICA and Medicare taxes and submitted falsified documents to the state Department of Job and Family Services.

The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Department of Labor and the Office of Inspector General were involved in the investigation.

"These criminal charges represent (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)'s firm commitment to holding employers accountable for brazenly ignoring immigration laws as it relates to their work force," said John Morton, Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary for immigration and customs enforcement. "In order to create a culture of compliance among businesses, ICE will take the necessary actions, including leveling both criminal and civil fines against employers."

Gerald Goulder is a North Carolina immigration lawyer with clients throughout the United States and the world.  His services assist employers develop recommended Forms I-9 compliance procedures and practices, and avoid substantial civil and criminal penalties that may be assessed for I-9 employment eligibility violations. His services include training company personnel on properly completing and retaining Forms I-9, creating company policies and procedures for all aspects of proper Form I-9 compliance, and conducting internal company I-9 audits of its Forms I-9.  His I-9 and worksite enforcement blog and I-9 employment eligibility verification website provide the most authoritative and extensive information on the Internet concerning Form I-9 compliance and employer sanctions laws. Contact Gerald Goulder through his websites (www.gouldervisa.com or www.I-9employmenteligibility.com) or by phone at 1-866-US VISAS.