DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Iowa on Wednesday fined a kosher meatpacking plant that was targeted by a federal immigration raid nearly $10 million for alleged violations of state labor laws.
Labor Commissioner Dave Neil assessed the civil penalties against Agriprocessors in Postville for what he called repeated violations of Iowa's wage laws from January 2006 to June 2008.
The alleged violations included illegally deducting sales tax and miscellaneous costs, and failing to pay dozens of workers their last paycheck after the May raid by federal immigration agents.
The civil penalties total more than $9.9 million.
An Agriprocessors spokesman didn't immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.
Also on Wednesday, a human resources employee of Agriprocessors changed her plea to guilty for her role in helping illegal workers use false documents to work at the plant.
Laura Althouse, 38, of Postville, appeared in federal court in Cedar Rapids to enter her plea to charges of conspiracy to harbor undocumented immigrants for financial gain and aggravated identity theft. She originally faced the conspiracy charge as well as charges of aiding and abetting document fraud and aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft.
Her lawyer didn't immediately respond to calls seeking comment.
The U.S. attorneys office said Althouse remains free on bail pending sentencing, which will scheduled after a presentence investigation report is completed. She faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge, and up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the aggravated identity theft charge.
