United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

ELEVEN FORMER EMPLOYEES AT SWIFT & COMPANY MEAT
PROCESSING PLANT IN CACTUS, TEXAS PLEAD GUILTY

U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas announced today that five people pled guilty yesterday before District Judge Mary Lou Robinson to felony charges stemming from the immigration raid at the Swift & Company Meat Processing Plant in Cactus, Texas, on December 12, 2006. The defendants will be sentenced at a later date.

Six other defendants also pled guilty yesterday before Magistrate Judge Clinton E. Averitte, each to a misdemeanor charge. Domingo Ciprian-Castro, Freddy Garcia-Aeilon, Diego Giatas-Obrero, Juan Perez-Reynoso, Francisco Quinillo-Batz, and Diego Xirum-Toj were all sentenced to 100 days incarceration. Thirty-four cases remain pending against other defendants.

Pedro Raul Acabel-Lopez and Pedro Chica-Tino pled guilty to falsely representing a Social Security number as belonging to them in order to obtain employment at Swift, which carries a maximum punishment of five years incarceration and a $250,000 fine.

Nicolas Mejia-Gonzalez, Miguel De La Cruz-Lopez, and Domingo Lopez-Hernandez pled guilty to using fraudulently obtained identity documents, including a Social Security card, to make it appear as though they were United States citizens legally authorized to live and work in the United States to gain employment at Swift. That offence carries a maximum punishment of ten years incarceration and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the excellent cooperative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise Williams of the Lubbock, Texas branch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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