Oxnard businessman and his son charged with hiring illegal immigrants (LA Times)

Oxnard businessman and his son charged with hiring illegal immigrants
September 24, 2010 | 7:44 am
-- Sam Quinones

The owner of an Oxnard metal-casting company and his son, an executive with the firm, have been charged with knowingly employing illegal immigrants, authorities said Friday.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials Thursday arrested Wayne Haddox, 67, owner of Masters in Metal, and Dennis Haddox, 37, the company’s vice president, authorities said.

The charges grew from a 2007 investigation when ICE investigators allegedly found 16 employees at the company had false permanent resident alien cards, also known as green cards. The company told investigators the workers had been fired.

Later, officials said, they received information that two of the employees had remained on the payroll and Wayne Haddox told them to go find “good” Social Security numbers.

The charges carry a maximum of six months in federal prison.

In another action, on Sept. 14, ICE agents arrested the manager of a Bell personnel agency for hiring illegal immigrants. Luis Gasca, 33, of Parker Personnel was also charged with providing workers with counterfeit immigration documents.

Parker Personnel provides workers to bonded customs warehouses in Southern California. Officials said the charges stemmed from federal inspections designed to improve security at freight-forwarding and in-bond warehouses, which are crucial links in the country’s import-export process.