St. Davids Man Charged in Visa Fraud Conspiracy

Larry Gauger, 45, of Saint Davids, Pennsylvania, is facing federal charges for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to flout U.S. immigration and employment laws. Gauger was charged today by Information with one count of conspiracy to commit fraud and misuse visas and one count of fraud and misuse of visas, according to Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.

The charges stem from Gauger’s role as a Regional Manager at Asplundh Tree Experts, Inc., where prosecutors say he directed staff to knowingly accept fraudulent identification documents from job applicants between 2010 and December 2014. These falsified papers were used to re-hire workers previously flagged by Homeland Security Investigations as undocumented aliens unauthorized to work in the United States.

By rubber-stamping fake IDs, Gauger allegedly enabled a pattern of deliberate noncompliance with federal employment verification protocols. The scheme not only undermined immigration enforcement but also gave the company access to a vulnerable, off-the-books labor force—putting profit over law.

If convicted, Gauger faces a maximum of ten years in federal prison, a $500,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment. The charges carry no mandatory minimum, but prosecutors are vowing to hold corporate enablers accountable.

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a federal unit tasked with rooting out employment fraud and immigration violations tied to corporate actors. The probe peeled back layers of systemic document abuse at a major utility and tree maintenance contractor.

The case is now in the hands of Special Assistant United States Attorney Josh A. Davison and Assistant United States Attorney L.C. Wright, who are prosecuting. An Information, as filed, is a formal accusation; under U.S. law, Gauger is presumed innocent until proven guilty.