Parkersburg Man Sentenced for Immigration Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Frederick Sayre Anderson, 65, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation and ordered to pay $75,000 in restitution for concealing, harboring, and shielding an alien from detection.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about January 2011 until May 7, 2021, a foreign national of Madagascar worked and lived at Anderson’s Parkersburg business. As part of his guilty plea, Anderson admitted that the foreign national entered the United States on a 90-day fiancée K-1 nonimmigrant visa that he obtained. Anderson further admitted that he knew the visa required him to marry the foreign national within 90 days, that he never married her, and that he knew her presence in the United States became unlawful once her K-1 visa expired on April 8, 2011.

Anderson also admitted that the foreign national did not receive compensation for the work she performed at his business, a laboratory that provides water quality testing kits to state and local governments across the country. The foreign national slept in an office at the business that was converted into a bedroom. The business had no shower facilities. The foreign national showered at the home of Anderson’s business partner, John Robert Coe, or cleaned herself with baby wipes when Coe’s residence was unavailable.

The foreign national exhausted her life savings while working for Anderson without receiving income. Anderson encouraged the foreign national to obtain credit cards and advised her to lie about her income to obtain them. Anderson used the foreign national’s credit cards to  pay business operating expenses and for travel, including a trip to the Cayman Islands that Anderson took with one of his friends.

Anderson admitted that he took steps to prevent government officials from finding the foreign national. Immigration agents visited Anderson’s business at least three times in May 2021. In advance of one of those visits, Anderson had the foreign national hide on the property. During the visit, Anderson falsely told the agents that the foreign national did not live at the business, that she had left months prior, and that he did not know where she was.

“In this strange and saddening case, the defendant harbored an illegal alien for a decade and took advantage of her at every opportunity,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “Faithfully executing the immigration laws of the United States is critical to public safety, national security, and the rule of law, and this office is committed to the total and efficient enforcement of those laws.”

Coe, 66, of Parkersburg,  pleaded guilty on January 22, 2025, to continuing to employ a known illegal alien and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7, 2025. As part of his plea agreement, Coe has paid $54,740 in restitution.

Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police, and the Parkersburg Police Department.

United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-187.

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