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Date: 05-06-2022
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Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Cook County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: United States Attorney’s Office
Defendant's Attorney: Josh Adams and Pat Boyle
Description: Chicago, Illinois criminal defense lawyer represented defendant charged with knowingly illegally hiring undocumented workers.
Kenneth Kuzelka, age 64, of Chicago, was charged with conspiracy to commit alien harboring for purposes of financial advantage.
The Kuzelkas admitted in plea agreements that in 2017 they schemed with the executive vice president of a Chicago staffing company to knowingly re-hire approximately 20 undocumented workers at KSO MetalFab Inc., a sheet metal fabrication company in Streamwood, Ill. The undocumented workers were previously employed by the company but had been terminated after agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) served the company with notice of suspected violations regarding the workers’ employment-verification documents. The staffing agency facilitated the undocumented workers’ return to the company.
The conspiracy charge against Kenneth Kuzelka is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison, while Kari Kuzelka faces up to six months. U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis set sentencings for Aug. 2, 2022.
The Kuzelkas’ plea agreements were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Angie Salazar, Special Agent-in-Charge of the HSI Chicago office. The U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Social Security Administration provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley A. Chung.
The staffing agency executive vice president – SERGIO BADANI of St. Charles, Ill. – previously pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme and was sentenced to two years of probation and fined $15,000. A fourth defendant – KEITH KUZELKA of Elgin – also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year of probation.
BRINGING IN AND HARBORING ALIENS
Outcome: 04/26/2022 180 MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: as to Dora Kuzelka, Kenneth Kuzelka, Kari Kuzelka, Telephone status set for 4/26/2022 is stricken. Video Change of Plea Hearing set for 5/5/2022 at 2:30 PM. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to the hearing. The call-in number is (571)353-2301, and the meeting ID is 099474319. Counsel of record will receive an email invitation prior to the start of the video hearing with instructions to join the video conference. Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting court proceedings. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court-issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court. The Court excludes time 4/26/2022 through 5/5/2022. pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 3161(h)(1) for plea negotiations. The parties shall submit a draft plea agreement one week before the change of plea hearing. The pretrial conference set for 4/29/2022 is stricken. Mailed notice (rj, ) (Entered: 04/26/2022)
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