The U.S. attorney’s office at Fort Smith says four members of an Arkansas family have pleaded guilty to charges that they harbored, transported and employed illegal aliens.
A news release Monday from the office of U.S. Attorney Deborah Groom said the pleas were entered by Leoncio Amador-Villanueva, 42, Jose “Manuel” Amador Villanueva, 39, and Kelle Stubbs-Amador, 32, all of Alma, and Juan Amador-Villaneuva, 43, of Batesville.
Chris Plumlee, an assistant U.S. attorney, said Sept. 23 raids on four sites in Arkansas turned up about 15 illegal aliens working at Amador Poultry Contracting and J&A Loading, businesses operated by the Amadors.
The news release said “illegal aliens were knowingly hired by the defendants to work on chicken-catching crews, who were transported to various work sites, and were paid in cash.”