Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts in Houston, Texas

May 20, 2007

GOVERNMENT FILES CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST 15 INDIVIDUALS ARRESTED AT DAIRY FARMS IN AMHERST, TEXAS

LUBBOCK, Tx. — Federal criminal complaints were filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Lubbock charging 15 individuals, who were arrested earlier this week by law enforcement officers executing federal search warrants at two dairy farms in Amherst, Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. The federal search warrants were executed at 5 Star Dairy and Milk Harvest Dairy, in Amherst, which is approximately 45 miles northwest of Lubbock. Official tax records indicate that both 5 Star Dairy and Milk Harvest Dairy are owned by Kornelis and Piertsje Vanderlei.

Twelve individuals have been charged in federal criminal complaints alleging a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a), fraud in connection with an immigration document. The maximum statutory penalty for this offense is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Three individuals were charged in federal criminal complaints alleging a violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1325, improper entry by an illegal alien. The maximum statutory penalty for this offense is six months in prison and a $5000 fine.

The 15 defendants, all employees of the dairies, will appear today, May 18, 2007, at 10:00 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy M. Koenig in U.S. District Court in Lubbock. No charges have been filed against the dairies’ owners, however, the investigation remains ongoing.

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