Five-State Investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Result in Arrests for Harboring Aliens to Work in Mexican Restaurants

BUFFALO, N.Y., Apr. 16 /PRNewswire/ --

BUFFALO, N.Y., April 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- United States Attorney Terrance P. Flynn and Julie L. Myers, Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, today announced the arrests of five individuals in the Western District of New York, a sixth person in Bradford, Pa., three persons in W.Va., and another in the Cleveland area. An eleventh individual is still being sought. All the defendants were charged in a complaint alleging conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, primarily undocumented Mexicans, who had been smuggled into the U.S. for the purpose of employing these aliens at seven Mexican restaurants. Three restaurants are located in Western N.Y., one in Bradford, Pa., one in Mentor, Ohio, one in Wheeling, W.Va. and one in New Martinsville, W.Va.

If convicted, defendants face a maximum term of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. These arrests began this morning by special agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in a case coordinated by the ICE office of investigations in Buffalo under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Lev Kubiak.

Simultaneously with these arrests, ICE agents and state and local law enforcement agencies executed search warrants at the seven Mexican restaurants, six residences occupied by the owners and managers of the restaurants, twelve apartments allegedly used to house undocumented aliens and a safe deposit box at a branch of Community Bank on Vineyard Drive in Dunkirk, N.Y.

Arrested in the Western District of New York were Jorge Delarco of Depew, N.Y., whom the complaint alleges was the owner of all seven restaurants, and four other men whom the complaint alleges managed restaurants for Delarco: Javier Banda, also of Depew, N.Y.; Sergio Resendiz of Salamanca, N.Y.; Maurilio Feria of Allegany, N.Y.; and Jesus Escalante of Dunkirk, N.Y., also arrested was Honorio Banda, of Bradford, Pa. The complaint alleges that Banda was another of Delarco's managers.

Arrested in the Northern District of West Virginia were Alberto Antimo and Miguel Antimo, both of New Martinsville, W.Va., and Alejandro Garcia of Wheeling, W.Va., all three of whom are also alleged to be restaurant managers employed by Delarco.

Arrested in the Northern District of Ohio was Alvaro Soto of Willoughby, Ohio. Another individual is still being sought.

In addition, Atlanta based ICE agents searched the Marietta, Ga. home of Jorge Delarco's sister for cash the complaint alleges Delarco skimmed from his restaurants and secreted in his sister's home.

U.S. Attorney Flynn stated the investigation began in May of 2006. Today's operation involved approximately 130 ICE agents and approximately 30 state and local law enforcement agents. Mr. Flynn also noted that his office has coordinated and will continue to work with the U.S. Attorneys offices in Atlanta, Georgia; Wheeling, West Virginia; Cleveland, Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania.

U.S. Attorney Flynn and ICE Acting Special Agent Lev Kubiak would like to commend the assistance and leadership provided to this investigation by the N.Y. State Police under the direction of Major Matthew S. Renneman and the Cheektowaga Police Department under the direction of Chief Christine Ziemba.

"Employers who exploit illegal alien labor to reap greater profits for themselves can expect to pay a high price for their greed," said Julie L. Myers, Assistant Secretary of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). "Whether the violator is a multinational corporation or a small business, ICE is aggressively targeting employers who use illegal alien workers to gain an unfair business advantage and take jobs away from legal workers."

Assistant United States Attorney Anthony M. Bruce is coordinating this investigation, with local ICE agents and with the other U.S. Attorneys' Offices. Mr. Bruce previously appeared before the courts in the other four districts to obtain the search warrants necessary for today's operation.