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Feds investigating company that supplies immigrant workers for Charleroi meatpacking plant

Feds investigating company that supplies immigrant workers for Charleroi meatpacking plant
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      OSDOL WITH THAT STORY TONIGHT FROM CHARLEROI. IN COURT RECORDS, THE FEDS SAY THIS BUILDING WAS AT THE CENTER OF AN OPERATION THAT PAID MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN CASH TO UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS. THE FEDS SEIZED NEARLY $1 MILLION IN CASH IN TWO SUITCASES, ONE OF THEM RIGHT IN FRONT OF THIS BUILDING. FOURTH STREET FOODS IN CHARLEROI MAKES PREPARED MEALS SOLD IN GROCERY STORES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IT EMPLOYS 700 IMMIGRANTS FROM 41 COUNTRIES, MANY OF THEM ARE HAITIANS. JETRO BÉRUBÉ, A HAITIAN IMMIGRANT WHO USED TO WORK AT FOURTH STREET, IS NOW CHARLEROI’S LIAISON WITH THE HAITIAN COMMUNITY. THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING ARE WORKING LEGALLY. YES, THEY WERE LEGALLY. THEY HAVE THEIR WORK PERMIT. THEY HAVE EVERYTHING. MANY OF FOURTH STREET’S WORKERS ARE ACTUALLY EMPLOYED BY A CONTRACTOR. PROSPERITY SERVICES, PROSPERITY ALSO TRANSPORTS WORKERS IN VANS THAT CAN BE SEEN THROUGHOUT CHARLEROI. ACCORDING TO COURT RECORDS, FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS SAY PROSPERITY KNOWINGLY PAID UNDOCUMENTED NON-CITIZEN EMPLOYEES WITH CASH AND TRANSPORTED AND HOUSED UNDOCUMENTED NON-CITIZENS FOR EMPLOYMENT PURPOSES. EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE FEDS SEIZED NEARLY A MILLION DOLLARS IN CASH FROM PROSPERITY AND TWO MEN AFFILIATED WITH THE COMPANY. ONE OF THE SEIZURES OCCURRED OUTSIDE THIS BUILDING, WHICH THE FEDS SAY OPERATED AS A SORT OF BANK FOR PROSPERITY TO PAY UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS. I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, REALLY. YOU KNOW, FOURTH STREET OWNER DAVID BARBE SAYS HIS CONTRACTS WITH PROSPERITY AND OTHER AGENCIES REQUIRE THEM TO HIRE ONLY LEGAL IMMIGRANTS. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS ASKED US QUESTIONS, ASKED US TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION, AND WE’VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT THEY’VE ASKED FOR. COURT RECORDS SAY PROSPERITY AND ITS PRESIDENT, ANDY HAAR, WERE BASED AT THIS HOME IN BELLE VERNON. BUT WHEN? ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES WENT TO THE HOUSE. A CURRENT RESIDENT SAID HAAR WAS NO LONGER LIVING THERE. AT FOURTH STREET FOODS, WE SPOKE WITH A LIBERIAN IMMIGRANT WHO PREVIOUSLY WORKED FOR PROSPERITY. HE SAID HE IS LEGALLY IN THE U.S. WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE? OH, I MEAN BETTER LIFE. I LEFT MY COUNTRY, AND THEN I CAME TO THE US TO SEE IF I CAN GET A BETTER FUTURE FOR MY KIDS. I DID REACH PROSPERITY OWNER ANDY HAAR BY PHONE. HE HUNG UP ON ME. I ALSO REACHED OUT TO A LAWYER FOR HAAR AND PROSPERITY. HE DID NOT RETURN MY CALLS. THE FEDS DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THE STATUS OF THE
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      Updated: 7:16 PM EDT Oct 11, 2024
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      Feds investigating company that supplies immigrant workers for Charleroi meatpacking plant
      WTAE logo
      Updated: 7:16 PM EDT Oct 11, 2024
      Editorial Standards
      Charleroi has become a flash point in the presidential campaign, with former President Donald Trump saying Haitians are "invading" the Washington County town.Action News Investigates has learned federal authorities are investigating a company that supplies immigrant workers to a major Charleroi employer.Fourth Street Foods in Charleroi makes prepared meals that are sold in grocery stores across the country.It employs 700 immigrants from 41 countries, many of them Haitians.Getro Bernabe, a Haitian immigrant who used to work at Fourth Street Foods, is now Charleroi's liaison with the Haitian community.He said the immigrants at Fourth Street "work legally. They have their work permit. They have everything."Many of Fourth Street's workers are actually employed by a contractor, Prosperity Services. Prosperity also transports workers in vans, which can be seen throughout Charleroi.In court records, federal investigators said Prosperity "knowingly paid undocumented non-citizen employees with cash" and "transported and housed undocumented non-citizens for employment purposes."Earlier this year, the feds seized nearly $1 million in cash from Prosperity and two men affiliated with the company, including Andy Ha, the company president.One of the seizures occurred outside a building on Route 88 in Charleroi, where undocumented workers received cash payments from Prosperity, according to court records. The building was called "Pay Now.""I don't know anything about it," said Fourth Street Foods owner David Barbe.He said contracts with Prosperity and other labor agencies require them to hire only legal immigrants."The federal government has asked us questions, asked us to provide documentation, and we've done everything that they've asked for," Barbe said.Court records said Prosperity was headquartered at Ha's Belle Vernon home. When Action News Investigates went to the house, a current resident said Ha was no longer living there.When reached by phone and asked about the investigation, Ha hung up. His attorney did not return multiple voicemail messages.In August, the U.S. Attorney's office agreed to delay the civil forfeiture proceeding against Ha "until the conclusion of the related criminal investigation."A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment.Amos Zougar, a Liberian immigrant who is now a manager at Fourth Street Foods, said he previously worked for Prosperity. He said he is legally in the United States."I want everybody to understand this: every single individual, every single immigrant that lives in Charleroi that works at Fourth Street Foods, they are legal," Zougar said.

      Charleroi has become a flash point in the presidential campaign, with former President Donald Trump saying Haitians are "invading" the Washington County town.

      Action News Investigates has learned federal authorities are investigating a company that supplies immigrant workers to a major Charleroi employer.

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      Fourth Street Foods in Charleroi makes prepared meals that are sold in grocery stores across the country.

      It employs 700 immigrants from 41 countries, many of them Haitians.

      Getro Bernabe, a Haitian immigrant who used to work at Fourth Street Foods, is now Charleroi's liaison with the Haitian community.

      He said the immigrants at Fourth Street "work legally. They have their work permit. They have everything."

      Many of Fourth Street's workers are actually employed by a contractor, Prosperity Services. Prosperity also transports workers in vans, which can be seen throughout Charleroi.

      In court records, federal investigators said Prosperity "knowingly paid undocumented non-citizen employees with cash" and "transported and housed undocumented non-citizens for employment purposes."

      Earlier this year, the feds seized nearly $1 million in cash from Prosperity and two men affiliated with the company, including Andy Ha, the company president.

      One of the seizures occurred outside a building on Route 88 in Charleroi, where undocumented workers received cash payments from Prosperity, according to court records. The building was called "Pay Now."

      "I don't know anything about it," said Fourth Street Foods owner David Barbe.

      He said contracts with Prosperity and other labor agencies require them to hire only legal immigrants.

      "The federal government has asked us questions, asked us to provide documentation, and we've done everything that they've asked for," Barbe said.

      Court records said Prosperity was headquartered at Ha's Belle Vernon home. When Action News Investigates went to the house, a current resident said Ha was no longer living there.

      When reached by phone and asked about the investigation, Ha hung up. His attorney did not return multiple voicemail messages.

      In August, the U.S. Attorney's office agreed to delay the civil forfeiture proceeding against Ha "until the conclusion of the related criminal investigation."

      A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment.

      Amos Zougar, a Liberian immigrant who is now a manager at Fourth Street Foods, said he previously worked for Prosperity. He said he is legally in the United States.

      "I want everybody to understand this: every single individual, every single immigrant that lives in Charleroi that works at Fourth Street Foods, they are legal," Zougar said.