Federal authorizes seized 14 7-Eleven stores in New York and Virginia, and indicted nine owners and managers, charging them with stealing identities and exploiting more than 50 illegal immigrants.
Farrukh and Bushra Baig, a married couple who owned or managed a dozen of the convenience stores, along with seven other owner-managers, were charged with identity theft, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and concealing and harboring illegal immigrants, Loretta Lynch, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said Monday .
She said the 7-Eleven defendants allegedly forced the immigrants to work 100 hours a week and pocketed the majority of their pay, while also forcing them to live in and pay rent in boarding houses that the defendants owned. This "plantation system" allegedly went on for more than 13 years, she said.
Ten of the stores are located on New York's Long Island and four are in Virginia. Lynch said the stores are now operating under the direct management of 7-Eleven, after the authorities moved to have the franchises forfeited. The Feds also seized five houses on Long Island owned by defendants.
James Hayes Jr., special agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Securities Investigations, said federal agents are investigating an additional 40 7-Eleven stores.
more
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/18/nyregion/us-seizes-14-7-eleven-stores-in-immigration-raids.html?ref=nyregion&_r=0
Farrukh and Bushra Baig, a married couple who owned or managed a dozen of the convenience stores, along with seven other owner-managers, were charged with identity theft, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and concealing and harboring illegal immigrants, Loretta Lynch, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said Monday .
She said the 7-Eleven defendants allegedly forced the immigrants to work 100 hours a week and pocketed the majority of their pay, while also forcing them to live in and pay rent in boarding houses that the defendants owned. This "plantation system" allegedly went on for more than 13 years, she said.
Ten of the stores are located on New York's Long Island and four are in Virginia. Lynch said the stores are now operating under the direct management of 7-Eleven, after the authorities moved to have the franchises forfeited. The Feds also seized five houses on Long Island owned by defendants.
James Hayes Jr., special agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Securities Investigations, said federal agents are investigating an additional 40 7-Eleven stores.
more
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/18/nyregion/us-seizes-14-7-eleven-stores-in-immigration-raids.html?ref=nyregion&_r=0
