Nine owners and managers for four Black Hills logging companies and a general store have been indicted by a federal grand jury for immigration violations and fraud in connection with U.S. Forest Service contracts.
A federal grand jury indictment unsealed Thursday afternoon states that since January 2008, the owners of the logging companies — Munoz Logging and Construction Co., Black Hills Thinning Co., Escalante Logging Co. and SM Logging Co. — devised a scheme to defraud the U.S. Forest Service by underpaying undocumented workers to outbid their competition by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“Oftentimes, these companies will all bid on the same federal contract, and once the contract is awarded, the non-winning bidding companies still ultimately perform or assist in the performance of the contract,” according to the indictment.
The grand jury indicted all nine of the owners and managers for conspiracy to harbor aliens and harboring aliens, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to a news release issued by South Dakota U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson.
Four of those people are also charged with an additional count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S., which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the news release.
From The Rapid City Journal: https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/logging-owners-indicted-on-fraud-immigration-violations/article_0ce58eb3-b9d6-58c8-bbab-873b4f1160e8.html