7-Eleven Owner Sentenced to 4 Years in Jail & Forfeited Millions of Dollars to U.S. Government

Follow-Up to NY 7-Eleven Investigation: Owner Sentenced to 4 Years in Jail & Forfeited Millions of Dollars to U.S. Government

A couple years ago, we brought news about the largest work-site enforcement forfeiture in U.S. history. Just a couple weeks before the end of 2016, one owner was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to several crimes, including harboring illegal aliens, i.e. employing unauthorized workers.

What Happened:

As we reported in 2014, the owners of several 7-Eleven franchises in New York and Virginia were investigated and indicted for employing dozens of employees without work authorization, as well as engaging in document fraud.

As we continue to see, the employer was investigated by multiple levels of law enforcement working together, which includes: ICE, Suffolk County Police Department, the Department of Labor, New York Office of Inspector General, and the Social Security Administration.

The Aftermath:

As of December 2016, one owner was sentenced to 48 months (or 4 years) in federal prison after pleading guilty to the crimes of “harboring” undocumented workers and other crimes. Additionally, the owner was required to forfeit his interest in eighteen (18) 7-Eleven stores, give up his Long Island home, and pay $2.5 million in back wages to his previous employees.

Make Sure Your Company is in Compliance!

The result of this case is exactly as we anticipated. ALL companies are required to verify the individuals they are employing have work authorization. When employers have zero compliance measures in place, they have little defense against employment-related immigration charges.

Compliance begins with training. Corporate Immigration Compliance Institute offers a variety of training to ensure you and your company are fully compliant and protected. Check out upcoming training and certifications.

Danielle Atchison, Business Immigration Attorney MDIVANI CORPORATE IMMIGRATION LAW FIRM 7007 College Blvd., # 460, Overland Park, KS 66211 USA Phone :: 913.317.6200 Email :: DAtchison@uslegalimmigration.com