The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
A township man who is a deportation officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been charged with harboring an illegal alien and making false statements to authorities.
Arnaldo Echevarria, 37, was scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court the afternoon of April 9.
Echevarria is charged with employing his then-girlfriend, an illegal alien, as manager of a hair salon in West Orange. Echevarria had received ICE permission to open the salon, provided that it would not conflict with his ICE duties and would not employ illegal aliens, according to the complaint.
According to the complaint, the woman obtained the name and identification of a resident of Puerto Rico to obtain a Pennsylvania identification card.
The complaint alleges that Echevarria paid his girlfriend and another employee – also an illegal alien – in cash and never asked them to fill out employee eligibility paperwork.
Echevarria also alleged signed a lease for his girlfriend’s apartment and put cable and electric service in his name, according to the complaint.
The complaint also states that Echevarria queried the name and birth date of his girlfriend’s alias in several law enforcement databases.
Echevarria surrendered the morning of April 9 to special agents of ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility.
The charges against Echevarria are each punishable by a maximum penalty of five years in jail and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gain or loss from the offense.
