By Associated Press

CINCINNATI — Three people and the temporary labor companies they ran in Ohio and Tennessee pleaded guilty to using more than 1,000 illegal immigrants to sort air freight over several years.

Maximino Garcia, owner of Garcia Labor Company of Ohio Inc. and Garcia Labor Company Inc. of Morristown, Tenn., also agreed Tuesday to forfeit $12 million in proceeds from his businesses. 

 

Garcia and his sister, Dominga McCarroll, former vice president of the two companies, both pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in U.S. District Court. Gina Luciano, director of human relations for Garcia Labor in Tennessee, also pleaded guilty to the charge.

All had been named in a July indictment alleging they encouraged and enabled illegal immigrants -- most from Mexico -- to work at the ABX Air Inc. hub in Wilmington, about 40 miles northeast of Cincinnati.

No date was set for sentencing. Each could be sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined $250,000.

A woman who answered the telephone at Garcia's Tennessee office said she had no instructions on how to refer a call for comment from the company.