Man is fined for hiring illegals
Published: April 24, 2008
A Manassas man pleaded guilty in federal court this week to hiring illegal immigrants who were not authorized to work in the U.S.
Felisberto Magalhaes, 55, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria to a misdemeanor charge of a pattern or practice of hiring illegal immigrants.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John F. Anderson sentenced him to one year of unsupervised probation. He also ordered Magalhaes to pay $122,000, the amount prosecutors believe he earned by hiring illegal immigrants.
The maximum punishment for the misdemeanor charge is six months in prison, a fine of $3,000 per illegal immi-grant hired and one year of supervised probation, according to federal law.
Magalhaes was associated with CMC Concrete and Stonewall Concrete, both Manassas-based businesses, according to documents on file in U.S. District Court in Alexandria.
On March 24, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials conducted a raid at CMC Concrete, at 8577 Sudley Road, and took into custody 34 illegal immigrants from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica and El Salvador, federal officials said at the time.
Federal officials believe that Magalhaes hired hundreds of illegal immigrants over a two-year period beginning in early 2006.
According to the court documents Magalhaes knew that many of the people he hired, some of whom presented false Social Security cards and green cards, were not legally allowed to work in the United States.
Since 2006, Magalhaes hired 257 illegal immigrants who used false Social Security numbers. More than 100 of the false Social Security numbers were issued to no one and 150 were issued to people other than the employees who used them.
The 34 construction workers detained in the March raid are undergoing deportation proceedings, federal officials said at the time.
Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.
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Reader Reactions
We should go back to 1950 and 1960’s rules when legal immigration worked and illegal immigration wasn’t such a disastrous problem. If it takes a fence and stricter employer enforcement then so be it. The law is the law. Chris Cummings
I just can’t understand why so many people fault these illegal immigrants for trying to obtain the American dream.
Is the dream only for people that came here legally? Should it only apply to people that aren’t desperate for a better life? Perhaps the dream should only apply if they’ve won the visa lottery?
To be clear, I’m NOT for illegal immigration; however, I AM for recognizing that this is a problem that isn’t going to go away. We have built up too many expectations in people over time that there’s a better life to be had in this country. That expectation exists because it’s true and I think that most people whom have traveled the world as I have would understand that.
So we have a problem that all of us recognize. Should we shore up our borders and try to not allow illegal immigrants into the country? Perhaps we should kick out all those seeking amnesty from oppressive regimes simply because they arrived here illegally? Are you going to be the one to say, “I’m sorry. We did not roll out the red carpet for you so you’ll have to come back next year. Allow us to put you on a plane back home where you’ll be killed for simply dreaming of a better life.“
Illegal immigration is a problem that is going to exist as long as people have a dream that they can improve their life by coming to this country. As long as that is the case, let’s work towards finding a solution to the problem at hand which is the illegal immigrants not paying back into society what they are obtaining from it in the way of employment.
If you can solve that problem, then it’s just a matter of making sure the people that DO arrive in this country aren’t a risk to our nation’s security. That problem is a lot simpler to solve than the other.
WH
Hey wayhigh my ancestors immigrated legally could this be your problem? Is breaking the law your problem? Chris Cummings
Mr. Wayhigh my ancestors immigrated legally how about yours? If yours did then what is the problem? If not then go home and come back legally. Chris Cummings
I’ve been reading these responses to what I said earlier and I have to tell you that I’m disappointed in nearly all of you.
Instead of arguing using logic to show a valid conclusion (succedent) by building off antecedents, all that I’ve been seeing is opinion guised as fact. In essence, you’re posting up conclusions without showing those conclusions to be based in fact like I have. Shame on you.
You’re welcome to your opinion but at least have the moral fortitude to actually state that it is opinion.
Without that, I just can’t help but come to the opinion that many of you are forgetting that nearly every one of us wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for your ancestors immigrating.
Pot… meet kettle…
What a mess! By not addressing the problem of illegal immigration the issue
has not improved. While my heart goes out to those people whose life in other countries is not good, they should
not be allowed to benefit from illegal behavior. To do so is a slap in the face of those who went through the process of coming here legally.
Illegals should not receive benefits that U.S. Citizens are denied.
Children who are born to those who come hear illegally should not automatically become U.S. citizens.
The only way I see of changing this trend is to cut off jobs that these people take by imprisoning those who hire them. While this may appear to be harsh it would be a more effective.
Our politicans need to do what is right!
Unfortunately too often they appear to do what they think will get them re-elected.
Okay, Let’s wieght this out. Illegals get paid half of what they should get paid. A legal american comes into a job requesting 20-30 dollars an hour they pay accurate taxes on the wages and file Federal and state taxes by April 15 some will pay in and some will recieve a refund. Now lets put what illegals do they are offered the same job for 10-15 an hour yes they may pay taxes but half of the taxes they dont file federal or states tax returns because the time that rolls around they are gone they have either been deported or have feld the country. Than the question comes with why did they Flee the country well because they live in households with several other illegals where they pay a small rent and utillities they have sent a great deal of money to thier country where that money is doubled. Now our money has been sent to boost another country’s economy and ours is hurt. Somewhere somehow you as a legal american citizen have to have a problem with the above isuses?? I mean I have no problem helping these country’s improving thier economy helping them improve the living conditions but where my problem comes in is not being given the choice to do so. We dont owe anyone anything. They dont owe us anything. We didnt make thier countries what the are they did. Why should we fix it with no choice?? See what you guys fail to see is that you reap the benifits of this country and if the situation continues the way it is we wont have a country to reap benifits from. We will have to institute laws and procedures that will confine our lives. We need to find the problem and fix OUR COUNTRY. They again as I have said several times are welcome here in America We just want them here legally. Is this a hard concept or am I missing something???
This is ridiculous. Most illegal immigrants get paid under the table because they do the work for lower wages.Point blank.
Hey all you bloggers like WAYHIGH. By the way you have to be high. You just don’t get it do you. These were fake Social Security Numbers. And for the last time. I know what they do to get around paying taxes. There is one tax paying foreman who cashes a large check. Then he goes out to the parking lot and pays the non tax paying illegals. THIS IS A FACT. NOT A FANTASY! We shouldn’t even be talking about this. They are here illegally. What happens to americans if they are caught crossing the border into Mexico or further south. THEY ARE ARRESTED. The governments in these countries are corrupt. And the citizens are to lazy or scared to make their own countries productive. So lets just flee to America they have already paid the price. We don’t have to do anything except work and send the money back home. Or join MS13!
Most of you seem so hyper to post you don’t even realize the stupidity of your comments. Of course these people were not paid under the table. Why would there be social security numbers if they had been paid in cash? You have DREAMS of people being paid under the table because that makes it easier for you to complain without putting forth a real solution. WAYHIGH is 100% correct.
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