America
Indian couple pleads guilty to unlawful employment
Washington, Sep 11
An Indian couple living in
the US has pleaded guilty in a federal court to charges related to
unlawful employment of undocumented workers, a media report said.
Satishkumar
Patel and his wife Daxaben Patel, who operated the Route 56 Express gas
station and convenience store in McPherson city, Kansas, entered their
guilty pleas on Thursday before a US district court judge, Eyewitness
News reported, citing US attorney Barry Grissom.
The couple
admitted that they paid their workers in cash, and did not withhold
federal income and social security taxes. They also admitted to
operating a money remitting business without the required permission
from the state authorities.
The Patels have agreed to forfeit
more than $700,000 in cash, money from bank accounts, and gold seized by
the authorities in the case.
"They face prosecution for their
crimes and the loss of assets obtained in connection with those crimes.
Contrary to what some may think, it is not legal to employ people not
authorised to work in this country, nor is it legal to ignore our
business and tax laws," Grissom said in a statement.
According to prosecutors, the Patels themselves are living illegally in the US.
The
couple came to the attention of authorities when the Kansas Department
of Revenue's alcohol beverage control division observed sale of tobacco
products to minors at their convenience store.