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Ten Portland plant workers indicted on immigration & fraud charges

04:55 PM PDT on Thursday, June 28, 2007

By kgw.com and AP Staff

Ten people who worked at a Portland food plant until an immigration raid two weeks ago were indicted on federal charges of possessing fraudulent immigration papers or committing Social Security fraud.

 More: Plant was target of federal raid

A federal grand jury handed up the indictments Wednesday, and the U.S. Attorney's Office announced them Thursday.

Federal officials detained more than 160 people in the raid June 12 on the Fresh Del Monte Produce plant in an industrial zone of north Portland, and began processing them to be deported.

Three employees of American Staffing Resources, an agency responsible for hiring workers at the plant, were also indicted on federal charges.

U.S. Attorney Karin Immergut said in a statement that the charges brought Wednesday carry maximum prison terms of 10 years for the illegal immigration documents and 5 years for Social Security fraud.

Miguel Cruz-Custodio, Daniel Cruz-Hernandez, Maria Diaz-Obando, Jorge Lopez-Otzoy, Francisco Lucas-Amezcua, Jose Machic-Sanchez, Ostavio Palacios-Garcia, and Javier Vasquez-Villa were charged with possession of fraudulent immigration documents and Social Security fraud.

Jose Garcia-Diaz and Andres Monroy-Gonzalez were only charged with Social Security fraud.

A federal informant working undercover at the plant during the investigation also found several violations, including electrical cords submerged in standing water, a dirty cafeteria and lack of protective equipment, among other things.

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