A Chinese-owned and operated factory complex in Ohio illegally imported workers from China, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
Last week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio released a statement saying that federal officials had seized $126 million in assets related to an investigation into illegal staffing and money laundering.
“It is alleged that many of the workers were illegally smuggled into the United States, primarily through Mexico, and encouraged to travel to the Dayton area to be employed by one of the target entities and serve as a workforce at the various factories,” the office stated.
UTF 81. Complaint by jmanship on Scribd
“Most of the workers are of Chinese or Hispanic nationality. Workers allegedly lived at ‘family style hotels’ (boarding houses) owned by the target entities and were driven to and from work in transportation provided by the target entities,” federal officials added.
With their investigation, officials say “roughly 40 entities” were created to facilitate the harboring of illegal workers.
“The suspects used these target entities to augment the workforces of several factories with individuals who illegally entered the United States, who are unlawfully present in the United States and/or who are working without required employment authorizations,” the press release said.
One of the companies raided included Fuyao Glass America, the company that appeared in the Obama’s prize-winning 2019 documentary, American Factory.
The company, bought by Chinese industrialist Cao Dewang, employs about 2,200 workers, 200 of whom are Chinese migrants, the Associated Press reported when the documentary was released.
The federal complaint in the case mentioned the Ohio factory favored by the Obamas.
53. In or around December 2019, law enforcement commenced an investigation upon learning that multiple Business Owners originally from China, who upon relocating to the Southern District of Ohio, became intricately involved with one another and have since created dozens of entities that facilitate the harboring, transportation, and employment of illegal aliens at various factories, and have developed a sophisticated Money Laundering Organization (“MLO”). 54. Investigators discovered that these Business Owners created roughly forty entities that augmented these factories’ workforce with individuals who illegally entered the United States, who are unlawfully present in the United States, and/or who are working without required employment authorizations (referred collectively hereinafter as “Workers”). 55. These entities have assisted in meeting the need to provide a labor force for Fuyao Glass America, located at 2801 W. Stroop Road, Dayton, Ohio 45439, hereinafter referred to as FUYAO.
Barack Obama had praised the company “for telling such a complex, moving story about the very human consequences of wrenching economic change. Glad to see two talented and downright good people take home the Oscar for Higher Ground’s first release.”
Fuyao though was the target of a raid looking into an illegal workers’ scheme last year. After the raid, the company claimed they were not the target of the raid, but one of the victims of the staffing company’s alleged crimes.
“The company intends to cooperate fully with the investigation,” said Lei Shi, Fuyao Glass America community relations manager, after the raid.
While many of these factories and staffing entities were created as far back as the Obama era, Joe Biden helped enlarge their footprint by allowing more than 176,000 Chinese nationals to enter the country during his four disastrous years in the White House.
The feds say that the investigation into the staffing company that led them to raid the glass maker from the Obama documentary is ongoing.
“We will continue to investigate allegations of unfair labor practices,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “Collaboration across multiple law enforcement agencies helps to ensure accountability for both employers and the workforce.”
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