December 17, 2007

3 area brothers sentenced on charges of smuggling illegal workers into the U.S.

ST. LOUIS - Three local Gutierrez brothers, who unlawfully recruited illegal aliens to work as roofers in their St. Louis business, were each sentenced to a year in prison Monday. U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway made this announcement. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The Gutierrez brothers' business, Golden Roofing LLC, located at 3328 Rex Ave., was operated out of their homes in St. Louis. Their mother, Olivia Zepeda, who lives in Juventino, Mexico, recruited workers from Mexico to work for her sons in their roofing business. Zepeda arranged for the workers to be smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border after they signed contracts indicating that they would work for her sons. Through Zepeda's arrangements, the workers took a bus to a border town; then a smuggler took them across the Rio Grande River into the United States. Once they arrived in St. Louis they worked for and lived with the Gutierrez brothers.

On June 20, ICE agents executed three federal search warrants at 9829 Treadway, Apt.5 Edmundson, Mo.; 6111 Hancock, Berkeley, Mo.; and 9613 St. Jerome, Edmundson, Mo. Three of the four subjects who were sought were captured; and eight illegal aliens were administratively arrested. A total of 20 illegal aliens were arrested. A fourth brother, Armando Gutierrez, who was illegally in the United States, reportedly returned to Mexico; a federal warrant was issued for his arrest upon reentry.

Jeronimo Gutierrez, of Berkeley, Mo., was sentenced last week to one year in prison; Juan Gutierrez and Jenaro Gutierrez, both of Edmundson, Mo., were sentenced Monday to one year each in prison, on charges of smuggling, transporting, and harboring illegal aliens. All three defendants appeared for sentencing before U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber.

"These three brothers are paying a high price for arrogantly violating U.S. immigration laws," said James E. Ward, resident agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in St. Louis. "ICE aggressively pursues criminal convictions against employers who egregiously flaunt laws by knowingly hiring illegal aliens."

Jeronimo Gutierrez married a U.S. Citizen and applied for U.S. permanent resident status; his application was denied. Juan Gutierrez was in the United States illegally. Jenaro is a U.S. permanent resident; however, because of this felony conviction, after his sentence is served he is deportable. All three brothers will be deported to Mexico after they serve their prison sentences.

Reentering the United States after having been formally deported is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Hanaway commended the work on the case by ICE and Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Ware, who handled the case for her office.

-- 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.

  Last Modified: