Two South Dakota companies were fined a total of $1.2 million for using illegal aliens to clear timber from federal land.
U.S. Attorney Randy Seiler announced Tuesday that a civil judgement of $759,999 has been entered against Aurelio Munoz-Escalante of Black Hills Thinning of Rapid City and a judgement of $458,374 against Sergio Munoz-Escalante of SM Logging & Services of Hermosa.
The monetary awards consist of damages and 44 separate penalties for employing the undocumented workers in the Forest Service contract work related to thinning unhealthy timber in the Black Hills National Forest.
Federal contracts do not permit work to be done by undocumented immigrants.
The contractors submitted invoices for payment, which falsely certified that the work was performed by legal workers.
Certainly this prosecution was an oversight by Obama Administration and full pardons are in the works for the Munoz-Escalante’s.
