DELI OWNER WHO HIRED ILLEGALS GETS PROBATION.Byline: Jesse Hiestand Daily News Staff Writer The owner of Simi-4 Deli was sentenced to two years' probation and fined $3,000 on Monday for employing four illegal immigrants illegal immigrant n. an alien (non-citizen) who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa. (See: alien) over a five-year period, officials said. Tong Youn Joe faced up to six months in jail and $12,000 in fines after pleading guilty to four misdemeanor counts in May. But U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson did not deviate from the sentencing terms previously agreed to by the assistant U.S. attorney and Joe's defense attorney during plea-bargain negotiations this month. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gail Standish said the sentence was appropriate. ``I don't believe our office would have signed off (on the plea bargain plea bargain n. in criminal procedure, a negotiation between the defendant and his attorney on one side and the prosecutor on the other, in which the defendant agrees to plead "guilty" or "no contest" to some crimes, in return for reduction of the severity of the ) if it wasn't a fair disposition,'' she said. Appearing in Pregerson's federal courtroom in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. for sentencing, Joe declined the judge's offer to make a statement, Standish said. Joe could not be reached for comment after the hearing, and his attorney, Timothy Lannen, did not return telephone calls. Three of the illegal aliens were arrested May 2 at the deli, 2321 Tapo St. in Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. . Immigration and Naturalization Service Noun 1. Immigration and Naturalization Service - an agency in the Department of Justice that enforces laws and regulations for the admission of foreign-born persons to the United States INS officials were acting on a tip from the office of Rep. Elton Gallegly Elton W. Gallegly (born March 7 1944), an American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1987, currently representing the 24th District of California (map). , R-Oxnard. The next day, when confronted with sworn statements from the illegal aliens, Joe confessed. A fourth illegal immigrant was arrested later. Joe has said two of the illegal aliens were the sons of an employee who was a documented worker. He said he was trying to help them by not only giving them a job but allowing them to live in his home with their wives and children. Authorities said the four illegal aliens, employed at the deli since 1992, had been paid in cash and received no benefits. One term of the probation forbids Joe to employ any more illegal aliens, Standish said. Another violation of this type could be charged as a felony, which could jeopardize his immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. status as a legal resident, she said. |
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