July 23, 2007

Centerville business owner sentenced to prison for harboring illegal aliens

DAYTON, Ohio - The owner of a Centerville business was sentenced in U.S. District Court today for crimes involving the employment of illegal aliens, announced Gregory G. Lockhart, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Brian M. Moskowitz, special agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Investigations in Detroit.

Joseph Edward Fulmer, 47, a Centerville resident, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice to six months in prison. Fulmer was also required to forfeit his residence, valued at $770,000, plus $2,693 in currency seized by investigating agents, and to complete 100 hours of community service. Fulmer owns the Stitching Post, a store that sells and repairs sewing machines and related items.

In April, Fulmer pleaded guilty to a four-count information charging him with one count each of encouraging and inducing illegal aliens to come to the United States, harboring illegal aliens, fraud and misuse of government documents, and engaging in a pattern of employing illegal aliens.

According to a statement of facts filed with Fulmer's plea, Fulmer began making regular trips from the U.S. to Mexico in March 2002, where he approached Mexican nationals about coming to work for him. He agreed to pay for at least four illegal aliens to travel from Texas to Dayton, where he picked them up at the bus station and took them to his home. In March 2007, Fulmer took three illegal aliens on a Caribbean cruise, knowing that at least one of them possessed and used false identification documents to get back in the United States.

"The price is high for those who fail to respect the immigration laws of this nation," said Brian M. Moskowitz, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Detroit. "Businesses large or small need to understand that it will not be business as usual if they choose to use illegal aliens as part of their workforce."

"The message to all business owners who may be involved in the employment of illegal aliens is that there is a price to pay for immigration crimes," Lockhart said. "Judge Rice noted that he has ordered jail time for aliens who have illegally entered the U.S., and he believes that those who enable illegal aliens to enter this country should be punished in a similar manner."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Clemmens prosecuted this case.

-- 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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