On Wednesday, Eva Ramos, 36, a former McDonald's restaurant manager, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 32 months in federal prison for her role in an ID theft scheme.
Ramos pleaded guilty to selling the identities of U.S. citizens to illegal aliens employed in McDonald’s restaurants throughout the Savannah area.
In April, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided two McDonald’s restaurants in Savannah and arrested several illegal aliens. The operation was the result of a nine-month investigation.
According to ICE officials, the McDonald’s managers stole the identities of U.S. citizens, and sold them to their illegal alien employees.
ICE Special Agent in Charge Jason Gialanella told the press: “These U.S citizens unknowing to a certain extent have been victimized, their credits have been potentially impacted, their good names have been tarnished.”
In all, fourteen arrests were made, with five suspects facing federal identity theft charges and the rest were charged with immigration violations.
In October 2010, Beth Van Loon, director of human resources for McDonald’s Atlanta Region, issued the following statement to Fox News: “McDonald’s does not permit the employment of individuals without completing the appropriate procedures, including reviewing documentation and completing Form I-9s. Any individuals unable to meet the legal requirements for authorization to work are not employed by McDonald’s. If we subsequently determine that someone is not authorized to work, we take the appropriate action.”
Though McDonald’s Corp. denies any culpability when their franchisees are found with illegal alien employees, there does seem to be a pattern emerging across the U.S.
McDonald’s restaurants in many states have been raided by immigration officials and illegal aliens are often caught using stolen IDs and Social Security numbers.
-In July 2008, two executives and the owner of Mack Associates Inc. which operates 11 McDonalds franchises in Nevada pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges and aiding and abetting, after investigators determined that illegal aliens were not only working at the fast-food restaurants, but had been given names and Social Security numbers belonging to others by the managers.
According to Nevada U.S. attorney Gregory Brower, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raids at restaurants in Reno, Sparks and Fernley resulted in the detainment of 56 illegal aliens.
-In March 2010, sheriff’s deputies in Maricopa County, AZ, executed search warrants at four McDonald’s restaurants, turning up 50 illegal alien workers. Most were charged with identity theft and fraud.
The franchises are owned by Richard Coulston and operated by his company, R & L Management.
After the raids, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said: “It's a shame that Friday's arrests had to happen at the fast-food restaurant, which is "more than just a business…It's an American institution, a place that my kids and yours could always count on for their first job ever. That these McDonald's restaurants targeted in today's investigation are giving jobs away to people using false IDs or perhaps working here illegally is a shame.”
With 1 in 5 Americans out of work, we simply cannot afford to allow one job go to an illegal alien. The issue of illegal immigration is now a fight for the survival of the American family.
As I always say…For every illegal alien with a job, there is an American without one.
View the video at left to see the growing connection between McDonald’s and illegal aliens.
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