Fill out this form to email this article to a friend
Man pleads guilty in European worker scam
Associated Press
Published September 14, 2005
MIAMI - A man has admitted in court that he took part in a scheme that brought hundreds of workers illegally from Eastern Europe to the United States and bilked the U.S. government of millions of dollars in taxes, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Pavel Preus, 39, of Pompano Beach, originally from Poland, becomes the first member of the alleged ring to admit his role, with trials for some of the remaining five defendants scheduled to begin next week in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale.
Prosecutors say Preus and his confederates illegally brought more than 550 people from the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, the Slovak Republic and other countries to work for U.S. companies who thought they were getting employees through legitimate channels.
Preus pleaded guilty Monday to immigration violations, money laundering, fraud and other charges before U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra. He faces more than 20 years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines when sentenced Nov. 21, but he could receive a lighter sentence if he cooperates with prosecutors in the case.
[Last modified September 14, 2005, 02:15:34]
Share your thoughts on this story
|
News
Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
Print
Email story
Comment
Email editor
