Agriprocessors owner, 4 execs charged in child labor probe
The five were each charged with 9,311 child labor violations, all involving 32 youths under age 18, the state attorney general's office said. Seven of the workers were younger than 16.
Court documents allege the underage workers were exposed to poisonous chemicals, such as chlorine solutions, and dangerous substances, such as dry ice. Some were employed to operate power-driven machinery such as conveyor belts, meat grinders, circular saws, power washers and power shears.
Agriprocessors leaders said that the youths lied about their age to get hired and that the company was not at fault.
Separately, federal authorities on Tuesday charged two of the executives with felonies. They were accused of helping compile fake human resources paperwork for employees even though they allegedly knew the workers were undocumented immigrants.
Critics have complained for months that while hundreds of the Postville company's former employees were sitting in jail on immigration charges, company leaders had not been held accountable. They hailed Tuesday's news.
Meanwhile, a state senator and Postville's mayor said they'd like government agencies to work with Agriprocessors to see whether problems can be corrected - and 800 jobs saved.
Company spokesman Chaim Abrahams said he didn't see why production at the plant would be interrupted by the new criminal charges. And Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said the government's action Tuesday would not force the plant to shut down.
But a kosher-certification agency on Tuesday made demands on Agriprocessors that, if unmet, could hurt sales. The agency puts a seal on products that meet strict dietary rules many Jews follow.
Those facing state misdemeanor charges are company owner Abraham Aaron Rubashkin; his son, longtime company leader Sholom Rubashkin, 48; human resources manager Elizabeth Billmeyer; and human resources employees Laura Althouse, 38, and Karina Freund, 29. The penalty for each count is 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $625.
In addition, Althouse faces three felony charges and Freund one felony charge. A federal criminal complaint states that on May 11, the day before a massive immigration raid, Althouse helped employees who had already been hired to complete new applications with new names, using newly acquired false identification documents.
