United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

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

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

8 FORMER EMPLOYEES AT SWIFT & COMPANY MEAT
PROCESSING PLANT IN CACTUS, TEXAS, SENTENCED

AMARILLO, Texas - Eight former employees of the Swift & Company Meat Processing Plant in Cactus, Texas, who pled guilty to charges stemming from the December 12, 2006, immigration enforcement action at the plant, were sentenced yesterday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas.

Sebastian Pol-Perez, Gabino Miranda-Ortega, Gumercindo Cac-Coj, Marcos Juarez-Chich and Juan Aguilar were each sentenced to eight months in prison. Maria De Los Angeles Garcia-Martinez and Miguel Alonzo-Chic were each sentenced to one year and one day in prison. Each defendant 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.

Gaspar Mendoza-Velasquez was sentenced to 21 months in prison. He pled guilty to illegal re-entry after deportation.

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; the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; and the Texas Department of Public Safety. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise Williams of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lubbock, Texas.

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