Fresh Mark Incorporated, a prominent meat supplier based in Northeast Ohio, has agreed to pay a $3.7 million penalty as part of a non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This agreement stems from the company’s involvement in an identity theft and obstruction of justice scheme orchestrated by one of its hiring managers.
Between 2013 and 2018, Yelwin Omar Munoz-Solis, a hiring manager at Fresh Mark’s Salem facility, participated in a conspiracy to steal the identities of U.S. citizens and provide them to unauthorized job applicants. Munoz-Solis falsified I-9 documents, which are used to verify employment eligibility in the United States. Following his arrest, Munoz-Solis pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft and making false statements on immigration forms.
In June 2018, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted large-scale raids at Fresh Mark’s facilities in Salem, Massillon, and Canton, Ohio. The operation, involving nearly 100 federal agents, resulted in the detention of 146 migrant workers who were in the United States without legal status. Of those detained, around 30 individuals were charged with immigration violations in federal court. The raids, which were part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement strategy, uncovered the identity theft scheme that had enabled hundreds of unauthorized workers to secure employment at the company.
Fresh Mark’s $3.7 million penalty will be allocated to the federal Crime Victims Fund, as mandated by the Victims of Crime Act Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021. The company has also agreed to a two-year compliance monitoring period to ensure adherence to federal hiring laws. U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko emphasized the importance of businesses following federal laws, stating that companies engaging in illegal hiring practices and providing false statements to the government will be held accountable.
The case highlights a shift in enforcement priorities over recent years. While the Biden administration reduced large-scale workplace raids, President-Elect Donald Trump has pledged to reinstate them as part of his broader immigration strategy. In an October interview, future Border Czar Tom Homan confirmed that worksite enforcement would be a key focus of the incoming administration.
This investigation underscores the risks businesses face when engaging in unlawful employment practices and serves as a reminder of the ongoing debate surrounding workplace enforcement and immigration policy in the United States.
