Yesterday, authorities seized ten 7-Eleven stores in New York and four in Virginia following a federal investigation which revealed that illegal immigrants were given stolen identities and forced to work crippling work weeks for meager wages. In what's being called a "modern day plantation system," workers from Pakistan were given identities lifted from children and the dead, then forced to work 100-hour work weeks.
According to court records, Farrukh Baig, wife Bushra and seven others have "employed" the workers at their stores since 2000 and demanded that they reside in locations that they own and control. All have been charged with identity theft, fraud and concealing illegal immigrants and they will be held without bail until their July 15 court appearance.
Yesterday, authorities discovered at least 18 undocumented workers, all of whom could face deportation. This sweep is being called one of the "largest criminal immigrant employment investigations ever by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security." The investigation started when employees tipped police off to what was really going on.
The investigation has broadened, extending to Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Florida
[via ABC News]
