Zion Market, Hiring Undocumented Workers, California 2020

SAN DIEGO - In a shocking turn of events, Zion Market and its former general manager, Timothy Moon, pleaded guilty in federal court today to knowingly hiring undocumented employees who were not authorized to work in the United States.

According to court documents, Zion Market acknowledged that between 2011 and 2019, about half of the market’s 100-person work force was not authorized to work in the United States, and that it had employed undocumented aliens as early as 2003, through as recently as 2019. The market realized a pecuniary gain of at least $500,000 by employing illegal aliens.

Moon, the market’s manager, knew that the illegal aliens could not legally work in the United States, but hired and continued to employ the aliens as part of a pattern and practice of employing unauthorized aliens. Upon learning of the investigation, Zion took steps to comply with federal immigration and labor laws.

Under federal law, employers are required to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all individuals they hire, and to document that information using the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9. Homeland Security Investigations continues to focus on the criminal prosecution of employers who knowingly break the law and will continue to audit employers’ immigration forms, such as the Form I-9 that verifies employees’ authorization to work in the United States.

“Federal labor and immigration laws protect American workers by requiring employers to hire only U.S. citizens and aliens who are authorized to work in the country,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “Zion Market ignored those laws for over a decade, and today Zion and its general manager paid a high price for that conduct. We will continue to vigorously enforce immigration laws where we find employers engaging in a pattern or practice of hiring unauthorized individuals in reckless disregard of the law.”

“Today’s sentencing is an example of HSI’s commitment to the investigation of employers who knowingly break the law to exploit workers and conduct other illegal practices,” said Cardell Morant, HSI Special Agent in Charge for San Diego. “These investigations hold employers accountable by eliminating unfair advantages for companies that hire an illegal workforce, protecting jobs for those who are legally employed.”

Zion Market, a grocery store located at 7655 Clairemont Mesa, Inc. in San Diego, California, pleaded guilty to one count of continuing to employ unauthorized aliens. The maximum penalty for the organization is a fine of $10,000 or not more than twice the gross pecuniary gain realized from the offense, whichever is greater.

The court also ordered Moon to pay a $5,000 fine plus an additional $5,000 in special penalty assessments. Zion Market was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine plus special penalty assessments of $25,050.

Defendant: Zion Market Inc., 7655 Clairemont Mesa, Inc.

City and State: SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

Exact Date: December 21, 2020

Exact Criminal Charges: Continuing to Employ Unauthorized Aliens – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324a(a)(2) and 1324(f)(1), a misdemeanor

Maximum Penalty for an individual: Six months in prison and $5,000 fine

Maximum Penalty for an organization: Fine of $10,000 or not more than twice the gross pecuniary gain realized from the offense, whichever is greater

Sentence or Outcome: $500,000 fine plus special penalty assessments of $25,050 for the organization; $5,000 fine plus an additional $5,000 in special penalty assessments for Moon

Dollar Amounts: $500,000 fine, $25,050 special penalty assessments, $5,000 fine, $5,000 special penalty assessments

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/grocery-store-and-manager-plead-guilty-hiring-undocumented-workers-court-imposes-500000