FORMER STAFFING AGENCY OWNER SENTENCED TO 30 MONTHS FOR HARBORING AND SHIELDING ILLEGAL ALIENS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2012

Fayetteville, Arkansas Conner Eldridge, United States Attorney for the Western District
of Arkansas, announced today that Valentin Gutierrez was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in
prison for Harboring and Shielding Illegal Aliens for Financial Gain as part of a scheme to sell illegal
labor to companies in three states. United States District Court Judge, Jimm Larry Hendren, imposed
the sentence and also ordered Gutierrez to pay $10,000.00 in fines and to serve 2 years supervised
release upon his release from prison.

According to documents filed in this case, on or about November 12, 2008, Homeland
Security Investigations in Fayetteville, Arkansas, received information that Valentin Gutierrez was
employing illegal aliens and distributing counterfeit immigration documents and counterfeit Social
Security cards. An examination of Gutierrez’s financial records revealed that Gutierrez had made
bank deposits in excess of 6.4 million dollars between May 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008, from
the sale of illegal alien labor to various companies in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama. As a
result of the ongoing financial investigation, Homeland Security seized Gutierrez’s bank accounts
and forfeited approximately $117,100.00 that was traced to the proceeds of harboring and shielding
illegal aliens. On May 10, 2012, Gutierrez entered a guilty plea to one count of Harboring and
Shielding Illegal Aliens for Financial Gain.

This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations in Fayetteville, Arkansas,
with the assistance of Task Force Officers from the Rogers Police Department, Washington County
Sheriff’s Office, and the Springdale Police Department. The FBI also assisted on this case. Assistant
United States Attorney, David A. Harris, prosecuted this case for the United States.

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