Ohio company ordered to pay $3.7 million for stealing identities of citizens

OHIO — Fresh Mark, Inc., a nationwide meat processor, has entered into a Non-prosecution Agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

The agreement follows revelations that a hiring manager at the company’s Salem facility engaged in an identity theft scheme and obstructed justice.

The company, founded in 1920 and known for its Sugardale and Superior Brand Meats products, agreed to pay a $3.7 million penalty and adhere to compliance reporting for two years.

The penalty will be directed to the federal Crime Victims Fund under the Victims of Crime Act Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021.

Between 2013 and 2018, federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested multiple Fresh Mark employees who had obtained stolen identities to secure employment.

Court documents revealed that Yelwin Omar Munoz-Solis, 43, of Salem, Ohio, a hiring manager at Fresh Mark’s Salem facility, conspired with others to provide stolen identities to job applicants.

Munoz-Solis then certified fraudulent I-9 documents used to verify identity and employment eligibility. He pled guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements on immigration forms.

In a major enforcement action on June 19, 2018, HSI executed search warrants at Fresh Mark facilities in Salem, Massillon, and Canton.

During the operation, 146 individuals without legal status were detained. Approximately 30 of those individuals faced federal immigration charges.

“Stealing identities to transfer to others not eligible to work is not an acceptable business practice,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Employers must ensure that their hiring practices comply with all federal laws, and businesses caught providing false statements to the government will be held to account.”

“This settlement is a testament to HSI’s commitment to the American people and our Ohio communities,” said Angie M. Salazar, HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge. “I’m extremely proud of the agents and prosecutors, who over many years saw this case through until the end. We should remain vigilant and ensure that all companies abide by the law when it comes to labor practices.”

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Toepfer.