The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas is seeking the forfeiture of two Kansas City area hotels in an indictment charging the owners with knowingly hiring undocumented immigrants who were paid less than other employees.
U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom on Tuesday announced the indictment of Munir Ahmad Chaudary, 51, and his wife, Rhonda R. Bride, 40, both of Overland Park.
The couple are each charged with ten counts, including conspiracy, harboring undocumented immigrants for personal gain, and wire fraud.
The government is seeking to forfeit the proceeds of the crimes including two hotels the couple owns: The Clarion Hotel at 7000 W. 108th St. in Overland Park, and the Clarion Hotel at 11828 NW Plaza Circle in Kansas City, Mo.
“The grand jury’s indictment alleges these defendants knew they were hiring undocumented workers,” Grissom said. “They paid the undocumented workers less and they paid them in cash. Their economic motive was to cut their costs and to get an advantage on other hotels that abided by the law.”
In addition to the charges against the owners, one of the employees is being charged. Syed Naqvy, 34, Overland Park, Kan., a desk clerk, is charged with one count of making a false statement to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and one count of failing to depart from the United States as ordered.
None of the other undocumented workers is being arrested, Grissom said. They have been interviewed by immigration officials, who will decide what to do about their immigration status after the case has been concluded, Grissom said.
“This prosecution is aimed at unscrupulous employers who are a driving force behind illegal immigration,” Grissom said.
An undercover agent took a job as a housekeeper at the Overland Park hotel in June, 2012, making it clear he was in the country illegally, and had no documents allowing him to work.
The agent learned that Chaudary and Bridge, through their business holdings including Rhonda & Son’s Inc., and Mac & Sons LLC, paid employees who they believed were illegally in the United States a lower hourly rate than other employees.
When the undercover agent asked Chaudary why he was paid less, Chaudary told him it was because nothing was being withheld from wages to employees who were illegal.