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February 17, 2009

Operator of Pennsylvania temporary employment agency sentenced to 70 months for conspiracy to commit money laundering

PHILADELPHIA - Jimmy Nguyen, 50, of Danville, Pa. was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison on February 17 for conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud state and federal governments. Nguyen operated a temporary employment agency that supplied workers to various companies in central Pennsylvania. An investigation initiated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revealed that these workers were illegal aliens and that H & T Staffing made in excess of $12 million from 2002 until 2007.

The company failed to make payments of $213,833.30 to the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Program and $345,172.66 to the U.S. Medicare Trust Fund. Nguyen pleaded guilty on November 13, 2008.

The sentencing was announced by Martin C. Carlson, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and John P. Kelleghan, special agent in charge of the ICE office of investigations in Philadelphia.

U.S. District Court Judge A. Richard Caputo also ordered that Nguyen repay the monies owed to the state and federal governments and be placed on supervised release for three years after serving his prison sentence. Nguyen must also pay a $200 special assessment. In addition, Nguyen is the subject of several government actions to forfeit his property.

Carlson noted that in addition to ICE the case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General, and the Pennsylvania State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian A. Fisanick, Chief of the Criminal Division.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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