RALEIGH, N.C. — All but four of the 29 illegal immigrants arrested last week in a raid targeting workers at the world's largest hog-processing plant had stolen the identities of American citizens, federal prosecutors said Tuesday as they announced identity-theft charges.
Two victims lost more than $10,000 because of the identity thefts, and one person nearly lost subsidized housing because of increased income reported on a Social Security number, prosecutor James Candelmo said.
The 25 immigrants charged Monday with identity theft either worked at or were former employees at the sprawling Smithfield Foods Inc. hog slaughterhouse, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. They were arrested with four others in last week's raid on the plant and various homes.
All 29 are accused of immigration violations; those charged with identity theft face two-year prison sentences if convicted. Several made initial court appearances Tuesday and all have public defenders, though friends said the immigrants are seeking outside counsel.
People are also reading…
U.S. Attorney George Holding said the group may have purchased or stolen the identities through a "myriad of ways" — including computer hacking, fraudulent e-mails and Dumpster diving — and didn't acquire the information from a single location.
Poultry plant raid in Ohio
About 160 illegal immigrants were arrested in a raid Tuesday at an Ohio poultry-processing plant, authorities said.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents seized documents and other materials at the Koch Foods plant in southwest Ohio and at Koch Foods Inc.'s Chicago-area headquarters, said Brian Moskowitz, an agent in charge of ICE enforcement for Ohio and Michigan.
Monte Lobb, an official with the Fairfield plant, said he has fired many employees after finding out they were illegal immigrants. "I'm against illegals. I'm not going to do anything to break the law, but people get false papers," he said.
