Salvador Delgado-Nieves, 57, of Pelahatchie, Mississippi, is staring down 74 years in federal prison after being indicted on nine counts tied to harboring illegal aliens and orchestrating a fraudulent hiring scheme at A&B, Inc. The charges, unsealed in the Southern District of Mississippi, stem from the largest single-state worksite enforcement action in U.S. history—part of a sweeping August 2019 crackdown that detained 680 undocumented workers across multiple facilities.
Delgado-Nieves faces three counts of harboring illegal aliens, three counts of assisting them in falsely claiming U.S. citizenship, and three counts of helping them obtain fake Social Security cards. He’s also charged with one count of making a false statement to law enforcement after denying he hired undocumented workers. Each of the first six counts carries a maximum 10-year sentence and $250,000 fine; counts seven through nine allow up to three years each; and count ten, the false statement charge, brings a potential five-year sentence. Total exposure: 74 years behind bars and $2.5 million in fines.
Also charged is Iris Villalon, 44, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, a former human resources figure at A&B, Inc. She’s indicted on one count of harboring an illegal alien, one count of making false statements to investigators, and one count of causing false employer wage reports to be filed using stolen or fake Social Security numbers. Villalon faces up to 20 years in prison and $750,000 in fines.
The indictments are the latest fallout from a massive coordinated sweep led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations. Over a dozen search warrants were executed across Mississippi, triggering 126 indictments, 117 criminal arrests, and 73 convictions to date. More than 403 individuals have been found to have falsified Social Security information to gain illegal employment.
“This office has a successful history of prosecuting employers for violating our immigration laws, and today marks another step in ensuring that justice is fairly and impartially done, no matter the law-breaker,” said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst. “The indictments unsealed today mark the beginning, not the end, of our investigations and prosecutions.”
Acting ICE Director Matthew T. Albence slammed companies that exploit illegal labor: “Companies who intentionally or knowingly base their business model on an illegal workforce deprive law-abiding citizens and lawful immigrants of employment opportunities.” The agency vows to keep pushing forward, saying investigations remain open and more charges could follow.
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Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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