SANTA ROSA COUNTY

SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Sheriff Wendell Hall

Sheriff's Office Task Force AIMS to Curb Undocumented Workers: First Day Yields 13 Arrests

On February 04, 2008, a special Task Force assembled by Sheriff Wendell Hall launched an operation to help curb the issued of undocumented workers in Santa Rosa County. At approximately 1300 hours, the AIM Unit (Area Impact Management), a 7 member multi-lingual task force dealing specifically with citizen complaints of undocumented workers, conducted a business check at Panhandle Growers located at 5975 South Ridge Road in the Allentown community of Santa Rosa County. Complaints had been received involving the presence of undocumented workers that were working at that location. A check of records conducted with the business owner did reveal that numerous suspected undocumented workers had produced fraudulent social security cards in order to gain employment. As a result of this check, the following individuals were found to be in the United States illegally and were arrested and charged with Using False Documents to Obtain Employment (3 rd degree felony):

** THESE NAMES AND ADDRESSES ARE THE NAMES THAT WERE PROVIDED BY THE INDIVIDUALS ON THE FRAUDULENT FORMS PROVIDED TO THE EMPLOYER

•  Generosa B. Guzman, H/F, 10/6/85 , 7000 Block of Milton Road , Milton , FL

•  Eden D. Cagal, H/M, 4/17/84 , 7000 Block of Milton Road , Milton , FL

•  Andres Cobaxin, H/M, 11/10/53 , 800 Block of Trawick Lane , Milton , FL

•  Jaime H. Colorado, H/M, 4/30/61 , 300 Block of Ballard St. , Brewton , AL

•  Antonio M. Conteras, H/M, 7/13/81 , 800 Block of Trawick Lane , Milton , FL

•  Francisco S. Lopez, H/M, 11/19/76 , 800 Block of Trawick Lane , Milton , FL

•  Alfonso P. Gomez, H/M, 1/23/59 , 300 Block of Ballard St. , Brewton , AL

•  Magaleno Ibanez, H/M, 6/26/87 , 800 Block of Trawick Lane , Milton , FL

•  Baltazar T. Tehuintte, H/M, 1/6/88 , 800 Block of Trawick Lane , Milton , FL

•  Rene Salguero, H/M, 8/20/74 , 800 Block of Trawick Lane , Milton , FL

•  Jose Pacheco, H/M, 10/12/79 , 800 Block of Trawick Lane , Milton , FL

•  Bernardo Pacheco, H/M, 12/04/59 , 800 Block of Trawick Lane , Milton , FL

•  Rey D. Alarcon, 1/06/78 , 200 Block of Dauphin St. , Brewton , AL

They are all being held at the Santa Rosa County Jail with no bond. The Sheriff's Office will request that a hold be placed on all of these individuals with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Because these individuals did produce the proper documents to Panhandle Growers, the company is also being considered a victim and will not be cited, as they did not knowingly hire undocumented workers to conduct work at their facility. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office will make every effort to contact the individuals whose social security numbers are being used fraudulently by these undocumented workers. The task force will continue to operate on a daily basis, indefinitely. Sheriff Wendell Hall encourages the public to contact the Sheriff's Office with any complaints involving activity surrounding issues involving possible undocumented workers in Santa Rosa County .

Press Release By:

Sgt. Scott Haines

Media Relations Unit

(850) 981-2136 or shaines@srso.net