SANTA ANA, CA – Jorge Vasquez, 60, of Fontana, is trading palm trees for prison bars after a federal judge handed down a 12-month sentence today for running a cold-hearted scheme to exploit vulnerable Mexican farmworkers. The owner of H-2A Placement Services, Vasquez illegally pocketed thousands from desperate workers seeking a better life, charging exorbitant fees for H-2A visas and then continuing to bleed them dry once they arrived on American soil.
Vasquez pleaded guilty in June 2019 to one count of conspiracy and one count of aiding and abetting fraud in foreign labor contracting. The scheme, orchestrated with co-defendant Melquiades Jacinto Lara, 64, of Santa Paula, owner of J&D Harvesting, involved systematically defrauding workers through inflated costs and false promises. Lara already served a six-month federal sentence for his role. The pair allegedly filed fraudulent documents with federal authorities relating to visa applications for over 350 farmworkers between 2012 and May 2018 – 75 workers specifically for lemon, avocado, and orange harvests.
The H-2A visa program is meant to be a lifeline for agricultural employers facing labor shortages, allowing them to bring in temporary workers when American citizens aren’t available. But Vasquez and Lara twisted the system, preying on the hope of those seeking legal work. Instead of following the rules designed to protect these vulnerable laborers, Vasquez charged some workers as much as $3,000 just for the visa itself, and then continued to siphon off their earnings with hidden fees for housing, food, and transportation – all strictly prohibited under the program’s guidelines.
The brazenness of the scam extended to an attempt to con a federal investigator. Vasquez attempted to sell an H-2A visa for between $3,500 and $4,000 to an undercover agent from the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, falsely believing the agent was an undocumented worker. He also agreed to illegally provide visas to individuals already in the United States for up to $4,000 each. The judge also ordered Vasquez to pay $135,389 in restitution to the victims.
Another player in the scheme, Ricardo Mendoza Oseguera, 41, of Santa Paula, owner of Discoteca Mi Pueblito, facilitated the financial exploitation. Oseguera’s convenience store redeemed vouchers given to workers by J&D Harvesting, but after deducting illegal fees from their already meager paychecks. He pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20.
The investigation, a joint effort by the United States Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Diplomatic Security Service, highlights the ongoing struggle to protect vulnerable immigrant workers. Assistant United States Attorney Damaris Diaz prosecuted the case, sending a clear message that those who exploit others for profit will face justice. This isn’t just about breaking the law; it’s about shattering the American dream for those who come here seeking honest work.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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