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Fuentes Brothers Guilty of Hiring Undocumented Aliens
PORTLAND, MAINE – In a shocking turn of events, brothers Guillermo Fuentes, 38, of Westbrook, Maine, and Hector Fuentes, 40, of Waterville, Maine, pleaded guilty to knowingly hiring 10 or more undocumented aliens in a 12-month period and making false statements to federal agents.
According to court records, the employment charge relates to hiring practices at the Fajita Grill restaurant in Westbrook, while the false statement charge arises out of post-arrest statements the defendants made to law enforcement officers in September 2011 regarding the hiring practices at the Fajita Grill and at the Cancun Mexican Restaurant in Waterville.
The defendants falsely stated, among other things, that federally required documentation regarding the immigration status of employees had been properly completed. This brazen act of deception has left many in the community stunned.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. The Fuentes brothers now face up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
The sentencing will take place after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. The community is left to wonder how such a high-profile case slipped under the radar for so long.
As the community struggles to come to terms with this shocking revelation, the question on everyone’s mind is: how could this have happened?
Contact Julia M. Lipez and James W. Chapman, Jr., Assistant United States Attorneys, at (207) 780-3257 for more information.
Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Category: White Collar Crime|Immigration Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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