A Mishawaka company has a legal price to pay—for hiring illegal aliens.

Today, Janco Composites (as a corporation), and its President (as an individual), pleaded guilty to criminal charges in federal court in South Bend.

Janco Composites faces five years of probation and a fine of $210-thousand to be paid in installments over a two year period.

Janco President Douglas Jaques—as an individual-- faces one year of probation and a fine of $30-thousand.

The plea agreement indicates that Janco had a pattern and practice of hiring illegal Mexican immigrants, and that one of the illegal workers was part of the Human Resources Department.

In March of 2007, officials raided Janco’s Mishawaka factory. During the raid, 36-alleged undocumented workers were arrested.

About a month before the raid, there were ‘rumors’ that one would take place.

The criminal charges were based—in part—on how the Janco corporate culture reacted to the rumors.

Some of Janco’s illegal workers who feared a possible raid were switched from the day shift to the night shift—on the assumption that a raid was less likely to happen in the evening.

When absenteeism persisted, the company suspended a policy of assessing points to punish those who missed work.

The plea agreement also points out that one Janco worker was part of the Human Resources Department.

In 2000, that department was notified that the social security numbers of some of its workers were a ‘no match’ meaning they actually belonged to other people

The plea agreement says that a human resources official then went to the workers in question—saying that different numbers were needed.

The workers re-filed their documents and the company altered payroll records so the old workers could continue on the job with new numbers.

The plea agreement simply specifies that the number of illegal workers hired by Janco between 2004 and March of 2007 was more than 25 but less than 99.

Today in court Janco President Doug Jaques took full responsibility for the violations. In exchange, the government promised that no other Janco workers would be prosecuted for crimes uncovered by the 2007 raid.

Jaques is an established local businessman who is on the Board of Directors of the St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce.

Jaques will be sentenced in April. The maximum penalty would normally be up to six months in prison. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the agreed upon sentence is one year of probation.

Janco manufactures fiberglass reinforced tubing. At the time of the raid the company employed approximately 200 workers.