MIAMI, OK. – (KOAM) – Federal authorities have charged the founder and CEO of auto parts company First Brands with orchestrating a multi-billion dollar fraud scheme that ultimately led to the bankruptcy of the parent company and forced the closure of a Hopkins Manufacturing plant in Miami this week.
Patrick James and his brother Edward face charges of wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering and managing a continuing financial crimes enterprise. The scheme bankrupted First Brands, which owned Hopkins Manufacturing.
Hopkins Manufacturing announced earlier this week that it would close multiple plants, including the Miami facility, leaving employees without work.
Oklahoma Works immediately mobilized to assist the displaced workers following the announcement.
“It was tough news to handle,” Workforce Center Manager Alicia Turley said. “We’ve been working closely with those employees. The HR manager, she contacted me and we had kind of a long conversation about that. But it’s very tough news. A lot of these people are now in a really bad, tough situation.”
The organization has been connecting with local employers who are actively hiring to help the affected workers find new positions.
“I’m very proud of our community and the surrounding communities for how we’ve kind of rallied and gathered together to help these employees,” Turley added. “A lot of companies are hiring. They’re actively hiring. So we’ve been able to make contact with a bunch of those.”
Miami Mayor Bless Parker expressed disappointment about the closure but remains optimistic about the facility’s future potential. He emphasized that the plant closure resulted from corporate mismanagement beyond the city’s control.
“Anytime somebody loses their jobs, it’s an economic impact,” he said. “But as a city, we had no control over what happened. This was a total mismanagement by a corporation that is being held, handled through a court system. At this point, not really much we can do about that. But now we have an 80,000 – 86,000 square foot facility that’s open.”
Despite acknowledging the immediate hardship facing displaced workers, Parker encouraged the community to remain resilient during this challenging time.
“Something like this happens that’s totally out of our control,” he said. “Whether it be the employees, whether it be the city officials or the community as a whole, we can’t let ourselves be dragged down by this. I know that’s easy for me to say because I still have a job, but don’t let this get you down. Good things are coming. Everything happens for a reason.”
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