Texas bakery\u2019s owners are headed to prison after federal authorities discovered workers living in makeshift quarters with barely any heat or hot water.<\/p>\n
The owners of Abby\u2019s Bakery in Los Fresnos, Leonardo Baez-Lara and Alicia Avila-Guel, were convicted of harboring aliens and conspiracy following a three-day trial. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before returning a guilty verdict.<\/p>\n
Both Baez-Lara and Avila-Guel were sentenced to four months in prison, two years of supervised release, and fines of $21,300 each. During the hearing, the court heard that the couple harbored six or more illegal workers at their bakery and an adjacent caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n
Authorities testified that employees lived in a small office originally built as an insurance office and later used for storage. Workers slept on mattresses on the floor, had only one exit, were exposed to unsafe wiring, and often went months without hot water. Employees were paid in cash and lacked legal work authorization.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday\u2019s sentences serve as a warning to any business owner who believes they can distort fair competition by utilizing a workforce of illegal aliens. It\u2019s not worth running afoul of the law just to make a quick buck,\u201d said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.<\/p>\n
Baez-Lara and Avila-Guel, both legal permanent residents, owned Abby\u2019s Bakery and Dulce\u2019s Caf\u00e9 since 2012. Testimony during the trial revealed that some workers had entered the U.S. illegally or were on B1\/B2 visas without permission to work. One employee said he was immediately hired after entering the country illegally, while another testified that Baez-Lara arranged for his return to work after being removed during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
The defense argued the couple only provided shelter and that no harboring took place. <\/p>\n
Acting Special Agent in Charge John A. Pasciucco of HSI San Antonio added, \u201cThe couple\u2019s deliberate disregard for the law and the safety of their workers cannot go unpunished. Those who exploit vulnerable individuals and undermine our immigration system will face firm and decisive consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n