The general manager of an El Cajon-area business that was raided by federal agents earlier this year pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal immigration-related charges and was immediately sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.
In March, federal agents swarmed San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings’ warehouse on Magnolia Avenue and detained numerous individuals at the business, which specializes in paint and coatings, including for military and government vessels.
Prosecutors said the company’s general manager, 57-year-old John Washburn, employed undocumented workers and let them live inside the company’s warehouse.
Washburn and several employees were charged by San Diego federal prosecutors and on Wednesday, Washburn pleaded guilty to engaging in a pattern or practice of employing aliens, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court, the investigation into the business involved an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent who obtained a job there with a fraudulent Permanent Resident card and Social Security number.
The agent secured the job with the help of a “confidential source” who worked there and told Washburn he was looking to get his “friend” a job. The complaint alleges that during the conversation, it was clear Washburn was aware the “friend” was purportedly undocumented and that multiple other employees at the business were also undocumented.
Washburn’s plea agreement includes admissions that he knew at least ten of the company’s workers were undocumented immigrants and that he had discussed with other managers that some employees weren’t legally authorized to work in the United States. Those discussions led to only assigning employees with “good paperwork” to work at military bases due to the extensive screening procedures on-base.
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