HOUSTON — Prosecutors can seek criminal indictments against the owner of a rag exporting company and three managers accused of knowingly hiring unauthorized workers after a magistrate found the government had enough evidence to support the federal charges.
Authorities believe Mabarik Kahlon, 45, owner of Action Rags USA, and three supervisors conspired to conceal and harbor unauthorized workers and induced them to stay in the United States illegally. Officials also allege the owner and managers engaged in a pattern of knowingly hiring undocumented workers.
The others who could face indictments are human resources manager Valerie Rodriguez, 34; manager Cirila Barron, 38; and warehouse supervisor Mayra Herrera-Gutierrez, 32.
During a hearing Wednesday, attorneys for the defendants questioned the role of four confidential informants who prompted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to raid the company. Three of the informants were paid a total of $13,200 and given immigration benefits, said defense attorney Paul Nugent.
Critics of immigration raids say the government is quick to exonerate company leaders.
"I think ICE is under political pressure to make arrests of management, and I think they may have rushed this case because of political considerations," Nugent said after the hearing.
ICE agent Calvin Bradford testified that only one of the four informants was told beforehand that money would be paid for their undercover work. The agency has not decided how much it will pay the informant who provided the original details of activities at the company.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Davis said 85 percent of plant workers were undocumented, showing sufficient evidence of a conspiracy.
More than 160 suspected illegal immigrants working at the hot, cluttered factory in north Houston were detained on June 25. At least 74 have been released by ICE officials for humanitarian reasons.
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