Clute - Undocumented workers jailed

Undocumented workers jailed

By Nathaniel Lukefahr
The Facts

Published July 17, 2008

CLUTE — Three men are awaiting deportation to Mexico and another is awaiting a stint in a federal prison after Clute police say the four stole identities to obtain work in the United States.

Clute residents Alfredo Gomez, 31; his brother, Juan Pablo Gomez, 33; Jose Aldana, 27; and his brother, Luis Aldana, 25 — all in the country illegally — are charged with felony fraudulent use and possession of identifying information after officers found them at 9:20 p.m. Tuesday at a hotel in the 1100 block of Highway 332, Clute Police Officer Belinda Rickman said.

“They were using names, birthdays, Social Securities, driver’s license numbers, ID numbers,” Detective Scotty Harris said. “They weren’t running up any credit card debts, just IRS debts.”

The younger Gomez previously was deported in January, so he is eligible for a term in a federal detention facility instead of deportation, Harris said.

“The kicker was one of these guys had a previous case from January this year where I could never locate the suspect,” Harris said. “Well, I find him at La Quinta.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Greg Palmore said the length of the term Alfredo Gomez could face depends on the degree of the charge, but sentences for undocumented workers can range up 20 years.

Harris said the four men had been using the identities of one adult from the Brazoria County area, one adult from the Galveston County area and two adults from Alice to work and live in the country for about two years.

Harris said between the four of them, the men had wracked up debt of about $60,000. Harris declined to release the names of those whose identities were misused until they had been notified.

Clute police’s investigation into the men started earlier that day when League City police told officers one of the men could be staying at the hotel, Harris said. League City police found out after a Galveston County resident told them they received a letter stating they owed $12,000 in taxes from 2006, Harris said.

“Once I went to La Quinta to locate the suspect from the League City case, his roommate failed to ID to police and it was found that he too was using somebody else’s name, social and date of birth to work in this country — he wasn’t here legally — so I arrested him,” Harris said.

“He told me where the guy I was looking for was at and we go to another room and I arrest him, and the two other people in that room were also found to be using other people’s personal information to gain employment and work in the U.S. because they weren’t here legally either,” Harris said. “So I arrested all four of them.”

The Gomez brothers were bunked in one room and the Aldana brothers were in a nearby room, Harris said.

All four men were employed by Quantum Geophysical Inc., Harris said. The Houston-based company does seismic studies around the state.

Harris plans to keep in touch with the company to see if it knowingly hires undocumented workers, he said. He also plans to contact customs enforcement officials to look into the company’s hiring practices.

Calls to the company were not returned Wednesday.

“They’ve all worked at this company for two years, and from the pay stubs that I’ve got, they are making $1,500 a week,” Harris said. “One of my victims had a $12,000 IRS debt from 2006 taxes. But as far as income, shoot.”

Palmore said once customs officials receive credible information about a company’s hiring practices, it’s reasonable for them to start an investigation.

He wouldn’t say what the information needed was, but “anything’s possible.”

Rickman said all four men were being held at the Clute jail without bond.

Follow-up
http://texasuproar.blogspot.com/2008/07/clute-tx-raid-nets-20-suspected.html