CEDAR RAPIDS – A man who hired illegal aliens to build grain bins was sentenced February 5, 2015, to more than two and one-half years in federal prison.
Juan Manzano-Huerta, age 33, from Hawkeye, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 8, 2014, guilty plea to one count of harboring, encouraging, and inducing an alien to reside in the United States, and one count of conspiracy to transport, harbor, and encourage and induce aliens to reside in the United States.
In a plea agreement, Manzano admitted that in 2012 and 2013, he hired illegal aliens to build grain bins in Iowa and surrounding states for his company, Manzano Grain Bin Services (MGBS). Manzano did not require the workers to complete employment eligibility verification forms which are required by law to establish authorization to work in the United States. In the summer of 2012, Manzano had one of his employees drive to Colorado to bring back four illegal aliens to Iowa to work for MGBS. Manzano provided housing for the aliens until they found their own residences. He also paid for lodging and provided extra money for the workers when the crews travelled out of the local area.
After an illegal alien was injured while working for MGBS when a grain bin under construction collapsed on July 31, 2013, immigration officials began investigating MGBS. The District Court found Manzano obstructed justice by directing an illegal alien to lie to investigators regarding the company’s hiring practices.
Manzano was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Manzano was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment and fined $3,000. A special assessment of $200 was imposed. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Manzano was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
This used to happen all the time. I don’t know if it is as common as it used to be.
Good. Well they charged one,(1). What about all the others that are doing the same thing, especially the bigger companies, construction and road crews. I see them all summer long at construction sites, workers that can’t speak a word of English. Working right along side of legal, voting, tax paying citizens, which is total BS. These legal workers should be reporting them to ICE…