Federal prosecutors said on Wednesday that the operators of an El Cajon-area business that was raided by federal agents earlier this year agreed to forfeit hundreds of thousands of dollars and that its human-resources manager had pleaded guilty to “to engaging in a pattern or practice of hiring undocumented immigrants without authorization to work in the United States.”
In March, federal agents swarmed San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings’ warehouse on Magnolia Avenue and detained numerous individuals at the business, which specializes in paint and coatings, including for military and government vessels.
El Cajon Immigration Enforcement
Prosecutors said the company’s general manager, John Washburn, employed undocumented workers and let them live inside the company’s warehouse. Washburn pleaded guilty earlier this year to engaging in a pattern or practice of employing aliens, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.
On Wednesday, the company pleaded guilty and, as part of its plea agreement, admitted Washburn and others hired people who did not have authorization to work in the United States.
The company also agreed to forfeit $230,000 it gained as a result and agreed to take part in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE) program. The program involves an agreement by participating companies to audits verifying that only people authorized to work in the U.S. are employed and training on topics like fraudulent documents and forced labor.
The company’s hiring manager, Karli Buxton, 41, also pleaded guilty and admitted she was aware some employees presented fraudulent documents indicating they were authorized to work in the country.
El Cajon Immigration Enforcement
According to a criminal complaint filed in Washburn’s case, the investigation into the business involved an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent who obtained a job there with a fraudulent Permanent Resident card and Social Security number.
The agent secured the job with the help of a “confidential source” who worked there and told Washburn he was looking to get his “friend” a job. The complaint alleges that during the conversation, it was clear Washburn was aware the “friend” was purportedly undocumented and that multiple other employees at the business were also undocumented.
Washburn’s plea agreement includes admissions that he knew at least 10 of the company’s workers were undocumented immigrants and that he had discussed with other managers that some employees weren’t legally authorized to work in the United States. Those discussions led to only assigning employees with “good paperwork” to work at military bases due to the extensive screening procedures on-base.
San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings admitted in its plea agreement that it knowingly avoided sending undocumented workers to military bases or ports of entry due to stricter screening procedures at those locations.
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