ACCOMACK CO., Va. — Federal prosecutors have unsealed an indictment accusing unnamed individuals connected to a sanitation contractor of harboring undocumented immigrants, including children, and providing them with fraudulent identification to work at an Eastern Shore poultry plant.
The 23-page indictment, in which the suspects' names are redacted, includes charges of “harboring illegal aliens,” aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to defraud and commit offenses against the United States.
The charges stem from an investigation into Fayette, a Tennessee-based contractor that provided cleaning and sanitation services for a poultry plant identified only as "Company 1" in Accomack County.
Some of the suspects are identified as former employees of the company.
Back in 2022, it states a 14-year-old boy was severely injured while cleaning a machine. Federal prosecutors say fake documents stated he was an adult, along with another 16-year-old boy.
According to the indictment, the scheme involved recruiting, producing, and purchasing fraudulent documents to hire undocumented immigrants for overnight shifts.
An investigation by Homeland Security alleges they “overwhelmingly used fraudulent identification documents” and allegedly found that 339 of 353 employees hired by Fayette at the Accomack plant had "suspect documents."
Furthermore, it states that law enforcement databases showed that 284 of 293 driver's license numbers provided were invalid numbers or rejected due to wrong information.
"The immigrant community is a very vulnerable community to abuse and mistreatment," said Hugo Valverde, an immigration attorney not connected to the case.
This indictment follows a 2024 Department of Labor action in which Fayette agreed to pay a $649,000 penalty. Investigators stated in a press release that 24 children, some as young as 13, were working overnight sanitation shifts at Perdue Farms in Accomack County and another plant in Iowa.
When reached for comment about the new indictment, Fayette provided the following statement:
“Fayette was not aware of the pending indictments prior to the recent filings. Fayette has not been contacted directly by authorities regarding the individuals named and none of the individuals remain employed by Fayette. Fayette complies with Federal I-9 and E-Verify requirements on all hires. The matters referenced in the court filings concern alleged actions of former individuals acting outside of company policy. Fayette follows strict hiring and compliance procedures and will fully cooperate with authorities if contacted.”
The case is ongoing in federal court.
An attorney for one of the suspects told WTKR she could not comment on the case at this time.
