Local News in Brief : 5 Accused in Fake ID Case
Five Mexican nationals were indicted Wednesday on charges of using bogus identification documents to qualify for employment with a City of Commerce chicken raising concern.
The federal grand jury indictments allege that the workers submitted counterfeit Social Security and “green” cards, in part to circumvent provisions of the new immigration law requiring employers to obtain proof of legal residence from workers.
Ernest Gustafson, district director for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Los Angeles, said the INS has issued more than 100 citations and four fines to employers in the region for violations of the law.
The INS is investigating whether the poultry producer, Zacky Farms, knew the employees were in the United States illegally, he said.
If convicted, the five workers face up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
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