April 14, 2014 - 14 Massachusetts Companies Fined For Hiring Unlawful Employees BOSTON — Following an investigation and audit of Form I-9 documents by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), 14 Massachusetts employers were fined a total of $175,122.70 in fiscal year (FY) 2013 for various employment violations. The inspection of the employers' documents is part of HSI's worksite enforcement strategy that launched in 2009 to reduce the demand for illegal employment and protect employment opportunities for the nation's lawful workforce. This strategy focuses agency resources on the investigation and inspection of employers suspected of cultivating illegal workplaces by hiring workers who are not authorized to work. Employers are required to complete and retain a Form I-9 for each individual they hire. This form requires employers to review and record the individual's identity and employment eligibility document(s) and determine whether the document(s) reasonably appears to be genuine and related to the individual. Additionally, an employer must ensure that the employee provides certain information regarding his or her eligibility to work, on the Form I-9. Fines in Massachusetts in FY 2013 include: | Company Name | Business/Industry | City | Business Location | # of Suspect Documents | Final Order Amount | | Lighthouse Masonry | Construction | New Bedford | MA | 81 | $22,500.00 | | Pureview LLC | Service | Chelsea | MA | 21 | $30,000.00 | | GM Employment Services, LLC | Service | Brockton | MA | 1 | $6,350.00 | Calamari's III Inc.
(d/b/a Cal's Wood-Fired Grill & Bar) | Retail Trade | West Springfield | MA | 5 | $24,000.00 | | Today's Temps Inc. | Service | Lawrence | MA | 145 | $1,716.00 | | Precision Cleaning Co. Inc. | Service | East Boston | MA | 0 | $8,360.00 | | Demoulas Super Markets Inc. | Retail Trade | Ashland | MA | 119 | $38,491.20 | | Cruz Environmental Services | Construction | Lawrence | MA | 15 | $7,480.00 | | Green Stamp Corp. | Construction | Waltham | MA | 9 | $2,415.00 | | Top Shelf | Retail Trade | Boston | MA | 1 | $2,566.00 | | Joymark, Inc. | Service | Boston | MA | 0 | $10,000.00 | | Corolla Roofing | Construction | Winthrop | MA | 9 | $7,500.00 | | Mota Construction Corp | Construction | Hopedale | MA | 2 | $6,591.75 | | Framing Specialist Group | Construction | Hopedale | MA | 6 | $7,152.75 |
"These settlements serve as yet another reminder to employers that HSI will continue to hold them accountable for hiring and maintaining a legal and compliant workforce," said Bruce M. Foucart, special agent in charge of HSI Boston. "We encourage employers to take the employment verification process seriously, as we consistently expand the number of inspections we are conducting throughout Massachusetts each year. My agency will continue to focus its attention on employers that are knowingly employing illegal workers and will continue to target specific industries and businesses known or alleged to hire illegals."
During FY 2013, HSI conducted 56 inspections of employers in Massachusetts, an increase over the 34 inspections conducted in FY 2012, 30 in FY 2011, 20 in FY 2010, and 17 in FY 2009.
In previous years, the fines in Massachusetts were: +FY 2012: HSI issued Final Orders for worksite violations against 17 companies totaling $349,619.54: +FY 2011: HSI issued Final Orders for worksite violations against 11 companies totaling $187,420.20; +FY 2010: HSI issued Final Orders for worksite violations against three companies totaling $67,440; and +FY 2009: HSI issued Final Orders for worksite violations against one company totaling $9,753.
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