Andrew T. Baxter, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York and Lev Kubiak, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office of investigations in Buffalo, announced today the guilty pleas of Steven Means, 31, of Cincinnati, OH, and Bryan Bailey, 29, of Nashville, TN, former New Market Development Managers for the Pallet Management Division of IFCO Systems North America ("IFCO").

Both Means and Bailey pled guilty before the Hon. Lawrence E. Kahn, in United States District Court in Albany, NY, to the misdemeanor offense of Conspiracy to Unlawfully Employ Illegal Aliens. Means pled guilty today; Bailey pled guilty October 14, 2008. At sentencing in February 2009, the defendants face a potential sentence of up to 6 months imprisonment and a fine of up to $3,000 for each unauthorized alien with respect to whom the crime occurred.

The guilty pleas stems from the government's investigation of illegal immigration and employment-related practices at IFCO's pallet management services plants, which procure, recondition and distribute wood pallets. On April 19, 2006, agents arrested seven current and former IFCO managers, and executed search warrants at 9 IFCO facilities, including IFCO's U.S. headquarters in Houston. At the same time, ICE agents conducted a worksite enforcement action at over 40 IFCO pallet plants nationwide. ICE detained nearly 1,200 illegal aliens who were working at the plants. Means and Bailey were not arrested at that time.

"Bryan Baily and Steven Means, represent respectively, the eighth and ninth IFCO managers who have admitted their guilt related to the employment of illegal aliens at IFCO," said Lev J. Kubiak, special agent in charge of ICE's Office of Investigations in Buffalo. "These guilty pleas, and the ongoing investigation and prosecution of the unlawful immigration practices that took place at IFCO, demonstrate ICE's commitment to aggressively pursue those individuals who take advantage of illegal alien labor to gain an unfair business advantage."