Two businesspeople from North Point, Florida, pleaded guilty last week in a scheme to provide unauthorized foreign workers to a staffing firm for placement in the hospitality industry, the US Department of Justice reported.
Larisa Khariton and Jon Clark charged workers $650 per application to prepare and submit B-2 visas that falsely claimed the workers were in the US for tourism purposes, according to the department. They had also encouraged individuals who were not citizens but currently on expiring or expired J-1 exchange visitor visas to obtain B-2 tourist visas to work in the US for the staffing firm, Louisiana-based Regal Hospitality Solutions LLC. The department said they did this despite knowing employing laborers on B-2 visas was not legal.
The two executives also admitted to receiving commissions for the workers from Regal, according to the department.
Khariton and Clark face maximum penalties of five years in prison.
Both had previously been indicted in the scheme earlier this year along with Regal and seven current and former Regal employees, according to the department.