SHERIFF SLAMS DOOR ON ILLEGALS EMPLOYED AT DOOR COMPANY (BorderFire Report)

SHERIFF SLAMS DOOR ON ILLEGALS EMPLOYED AT DOOR COMPANY
Investigates Identity Theft and Potential Employers Sanctions Violations

Thursday, 25 September 2008

Phoenix, AZ - Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies investigating potential employer sanctions violations served a search warrant on Chandler based Legacy Custom Doors & Western Lock this morning. Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s deputies were acting on an anonymous tip when they raided the business around 7:00am and arrested a total of 10 persons – seven (7) for felony identity theft charges.

According to Sheriff Arpaio, an additional three (3) employees were taken into custody for being or working in the U.S. illegally.

The search warrant was served at 325 East Comstock Drive in Chandler. Sheriff’s deputies seized computers, employment records and other documents from the property as detectives attempt to learn if company managers knowingly hired illegal workers.

Arpaio says the ongoing investigation began in April after his office received information from an anonymous caller to the Sheriff’s tip line. The caller alleged. Legacy Custom Doors knowingly employs numerous illegal aliens and that employees appear to possess fraudulent working documents. The caller also provided specific names of people involved and indicated that a number of workers had been deported from the United States only to return to the company’s employment a short time later. Information related by the caller alleges company management has made comments that the “Legal Arizona Workers Act” would cause the company to lose all but a few employees.

Legacy Custom Doors employs approximately 30 workers. Of those, Sheriff’s detectives identified 12 company workers suspected of felony Identity Theft.

This investigation is the fifth recent investigation into alleged violations of the Legal Arizona Workers Act conducted by the Sheriff’s Office and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Arrests resulting from these cases total 134 suspects on felony Identity Theft or other charges.

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas says, “Once again a business has been found to allegedly have a large percentage of its work force made up of illegal immigrants. We hope as enforcement spreads so does the message that is not acceptable to hire illegal workers and undercut the wages of hard working citizens and legal immigrants.”

Sheriff Arpaio added, “Companies large and small must be diligent and proactive in determining employment eligibility. They can not turn a blind eye, nor can they knowingly violate the law. If they do, they run the risk of the combined efforts of my Office and the County Attorney’s Office investigating them.

We are not going to stop enforcing the laws, including state and federal immigration laws. We’re going to do all we can to close the door on illegal immigration.