ACCOMACK COUNTY, Va. — Two former employees of a janitorial company that provided cleaning and sanitation services at an Eastern Shore poultry processing plant have been sentenced to seven years in prison in a federal case involving undocumented workers and false identification documents.
John Mitchum, a former division manager for Fayette Janitorial Service, was sentenced to 84 months in prison, while Elmer Escalante, who worked as a manager for the company, also received an 84-month sentence.
Omar Albares, who prosecutors said provided fraudulent identification documents to undocumented workers, was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
Jolie Pereira, a former regional human resources manager for Fayette, is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 19, 2027.
All four previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the operation.
Federal prosecutors alleged Fayette employees recruited and hired undocumented workers, including minors, to work at poultry processing facilities.
The investigation became particularly concerning after a 14-year-old boy was severely injured in 2022 while cleaning machinery at a poultry processing facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore.
According to federal prosecutors, false documentation was used to represent the 14-year-old as an adult. Court records also referenced another 16-year-old worker.
Prosecutors alleged that many workers employed through the cleaning company were suspected of using false or invalid identification information.
Fayette Janitorial Service, a Tennessee-based company, had been contracted by Perdue Farms to provide cleaning and sanitation services.
The case followed a separate Department of Labor investigation into Fayette's employment practices. In 2024, the department announced Fayette would pay $649,304 in civil money penalties after investigators found children working overnight sanitation shifts at meat processing facilities, including on Virginia's Eastern Shore and in Iowa.
In a statement previously provided to News 3, Fayette said the individuals charged in the federal case no longer worked for the company and maintained that their alleged conduct was outside company policy. The statement read in part: "...Fayette has fully cooperated with authorities regarding information requests relating to 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 has fully cooperated with authorities on all information requests."
News 3 Investigative Reporter Margaret Kavanagh has followed the case since the allegations involving underage workers first surfaced.
Pereira is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 19, 2027.
