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Rapid City Logging Firm Owners Convicted of Harboring Undocumented Aliens
In a major crackdown on immigration-related crimes, six individuals from Rapid City, South Dakota, have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to harbor aliens and for harboring aliens between January 2008 and May 2013. The convictions are a result of a criminal investigative operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, the Rapid City Police Department, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Custer County’s Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Department of Labor, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies.
The sentences were handed down on April 24 and April 25, 2014, with the defendants facing a range of penalties, including imprisonment, supervised release, community service, restitution, and forfeiture of assets. Angel Munoz-Escalante, the owner and operator of Munoz Logging and Construction Company, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day of imprisonment, 1 year of supervised release, 50 hours of community service, $539,507.92 in restitution, a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and forfeiture of a 2007 Dodge Ram pickup truck, a 2006 Dodge pickup truck, a Timbco Valmet T445 EXL, a Timbco T425B, and $108,590.08 in currency.
Munoz-Escalante intentionally submitted approximately 50 contract certifications for payment to the U.S. Forest Service, which contained materially false statements. The work performed on the contracts was not done in accordance with the contract terms because Munoz-Escalante employed undocumented aliens and failed to pay workers at prevailing wage and benefit rates. Munoz-Escalante is scheduled to begin his prison term on May 26, 2014.
Barbara Munoz, the owner and operator of Munoz Logging and Construction Company, was sentenced to 1 year of probation, 100 hours of community service, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Munoz was aware that her husband, Angel Munoz-Escalante, was committing federal felony crimes by circumventing U.S. Forest Service contract requirements and did not report those crimes.
Aurelio Munoz-Escalante, the owner and operator of Black Hills Thinning Company, was sentenced to 3 months of imprisonment, 1 year of supervised release, $135,276.88 in restitution, a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and forfeiture of a 518C Skidder, a 2005 CAT 525B Skidder, and $116,724.12 in currency. Aurelio Munoz-Escalante intentionally submitted approximately 32 contract certifications for payment to the U.S. Forest Service, which contained materially false statements. The work performed on the contracts was not done in accordance with the contract terms because Aurelio Munoz-Escalante employed undocumented aliens and failed to pay workers at prevailing wage and benefit rates.
Rogelio Escalante, the owner and operator of Escalante Logging Company and Escalante Logging and Thinning Company, was sentenced to 6 months of home confinement, 2 years of probation, $249,155.23 in restitution, a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and forfeiture of a 2005 ASV Positract RC 100, a Tigercat 610C Skidder, a 1998 Timberjack 460 Skidder, and $38,875.29 in currency. Escalante intentionally submitted approximately 25 contract certifications for payment to the U.S. Forest Service, which contained materially false statements.
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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