ROME, Georgia — Illegally present Mexican citizen Juan Antonio Perez, 46, was found in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia May 7 as part of a year-long investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland on charges of a Charged with Federal Crimes Security Investigations (HSI), which culminated last week in the simultaneous execution of six federal search warrants in Georgia and Tennessee, leading to federal criminal charges filed Wednesday.
According to court documents, Perez is accused of using his construction company Aztec Framing, which operates in northwest Georgia and eastern Tennessee, to employ illegal immigrants and pay them below-market wages. This allowed Perez to undercut legitimate business competitors who were unable to compete due to his illegal business practices. Perez is also accused of being an illegal alien and possessing 14 firearms — federal law prohibits illegal aliens from owning firearms.
“Individuals like Mr. Perez who flagrantly violate federal law to gain an unfair business advantage defraud both law-abiding employers and workers exploited by these unfair and illegal labor practices,” said Atlanta Special Agent for Homeland Security Investigations Nick S .Annan. “This case is an example of serious threats to public safety at multiple levels. Homeland Security investigations will continue to focus not only on workers violating federal laws, but also on their employers.”
“Not only did Perez break the law by allegedly hiring illegal immigrants for below-average wages and not paying taxes, he also possessed a wide variety of weapons, including shotguns and pistols, which he acquired in a different way than they did buy,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Illegal aliens like Perez are not allowed to own firearms at all. We’ll find out how he acquired it.”
According to US Attorney Pak, the indictment and other information presented in court: Perez allegedly entered the United States illegally in 1992. He lives in Bartow County, Georgia and has operated Aztec Framing since at least 2009. Aztec Framing has offices in Cartersville and Rossville, Georgia and Hixon, Tennessee.
Perez allegedly employed illegal immigrants at below-market rates, provided no benefits or insurance, and paid no payroll taxes or Social Security. Perez allegedly used the proceeds from his illegal activity to build a 7,500-square-foot home, bought other homes where he let some of his employees live, and bought more than 50 sports cars and heavily modified trucks. However, as of April 2019, the Georgia Department of Labor had no record of Perez reporting any earnings. Perez was also known to collect firearms, and an April 30 search found 14 of them at his home.
The public is reminded that the indictment contains only counts of charges. The accused is presumed innocent of the charges and it is the government’s responsibility to prove the accused’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by ICE Homeland Security Investigations with support from the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad, and the Polk County Drug Task Force.
Assistant US Attorney William Traynor is leading the case.
