KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Munir Ahmad Chaudary, 53, owner of an Overland Park hotel, was sentenced Monday to 27 months in federal prison for employing undocumented workers, who were paid less than other employees, according to U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.
Last month, Chaudary’s wife, Rhonda R. Bridge, 42, was sentenced to 21 months for the same offense.
The couple pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to harbor undocumented aliens for financial gain, admitting to employing workers at two Clarion Hotels they owned in Overland Park and Kansas City, Mo. They lowered their operating costs by not paying Social Security, Workers Compensation, and unemployment insurance for these workers.
Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge of HSI Chicago, emphasized that the Chaudarys sought an unfair business advantage by hiring illegal aliens at cut-rate wages. Homeland Security Investigations vowed to keep the playing field level for American business owners.
Ricky Robinson, Acting District Director of the Kansas City District Office of the Wage and Hour Division, stressed compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, emphasizing that employers cannot evade these provisions by hiring undocumented workers and paying them less than required.
The investigation began in December 2011 after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Kansas Department of Revenue received information about the hotels employing unauthorized foreign nationals. An undercover agent was hired at the Overland Park Hotel, despite stating he was not authorized to work in the United States. The couple also filed false wage reports with the Kansas Department of Labor.
Chaudary is the final defendant sentenced in this case, following previous sentences for Judith Vanzant and Syed Naqvi. The government seeks forfeiture of the proceeds from the crime, which will be addressed at a later date. Grissom commended the involved agencies for their work on the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Kansas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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