A Mexican national who owns restaurants in Columbia, Jefferson City and Springfield pleads guilty to a racketeering conspiracy.
Federal prosecutors say 43-year-old Lorenzo Castro-Manzanarez admits allowing illegal immigrants to work at his restaurants using counterfeit Social Security cards. Federal prosecutors say he admits he encouraged illegal immigrants to work in the United States and allowed them to work under fraudulent identification documentation.
Federal prosecutors also say Castro-Manzanarez admits he falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen and used a counterfeit Social Security card as part of the process.
Federal prosecutors say he took these actions to keep multiple Mexican restaurants across the Midwest staffed and profitable, gaining what prosecutors describe as an illegal competitive business advantage.