New Bedford factory’s managers face<br> conspiracy, illegal hiring charges

NEW BEDFORD – The owner and three managers of Michael Bianco Inc. face conspiracy and illegal hiring charges after an investigation led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials culminated in a search of the factory early this morning, federal officials said.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Michael J. Sullivan, Julie L. Myers, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Bruce M. Foucart, ICE special agent in charge.

As a result of today’s arrests and search, they said, hundreds of MBI employees will be interviewed to determine their immigration status. Deportation proceedings will be launched against any who are found to be in this country unlawfully.

“Knowingly hiring illegal immigrants is a violation of law, plain and simple, and those responsible will be prosecuted,” Sullivan said.

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After the raid, criminal complaints were unsealed against MBI owner Francesco Insolia, 50, of 3 Country Club Circle, Pembroke, Mass.; payroll manager Ana Figueroa, 40, of 150 Thompson St., New Bedford; plant manager, Dilia Costa, 55, of 43 Sherman St., New Bedford; and office manager Gloria Melo, 41, of 135 Sprague St., Fall River, all of whom are charged with conspiring to encourage or induce illegal aliens to reside in the United States, and with conspiring to hire illegal aliens. The conspiracy to hire charge caries maximum of six months in prison and a $3,000 fine for each illegal alien hired; the conspiracy to encourage illegal aliens carries up to 10 years of prison and a $250,000 fine.

Luis Torres, 45, of 500 South Second Street, New Bedford, was charged in a separate complaint with the knowing transfer of fraudulent identification documents.

All five were to appear in federal court today.

MBI had no comment when contacted today by the Providence Business News. “There’s nobody here who can comment,” said a woman who answered the phone at the factory but declined to give her name. “They’re not taking any calls,” she eventually added.

MBI, established in 1985, is a maker of handbags, business cases, other fine leather goods and military backpacks and apparel. The company has expanded rapidly since 2001 in response to contracts from the U.S. Department of Defense, growing from about 85 employees to more than 500, affidavits in the case indicate.

To fuel that expansion, federal officials allege that Insolia and others working on his behalf have “knowingly and actively been hiring illegal aliens.” They also allege that Insolia has deliberately sought out illegal workers because they are more likely to tolerate MBI’s “severe” working conditions.

The case is being investigated by ICE, the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General, the Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau and the U.S. Postal Service. They were assisted in today’s search and arrests by the New Bedford police and the U.S. Coast Guard.

A toll-free hotline for relatives of those arrested as illegal aliens has been established by ICE at (866) 341-3858.

Additional information is available from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Massachusetts District, at www.usdoj.gov/usao/ma/.

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