BRUNSWICK, GA.: An illegal alien involved in a multi-million dollar scheme to fraudulently employ undocumented workers and then murdered a whistleblower who was trying to expose the scheme was sentenced to life in prison.
Juan Rangel-Rubio, 46, of Rincon, a Mexican citizen, was sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the 2017 execution-style murder of Eliud Montoya, a U.S. citizen who reported illegal activities to the federal government, Rangel-Rubios said Jill E. Steinberg, US Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. US District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Rangel-Rubio to pay $1,351,217.05 in damages.
“Eliud Montoya was assassinated for doing the right thing and exposing Juan Rangel-Rubio’s plan to profit from his use of undocumented workers,” US Attorney Steinberg said. “As a result of the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners, Juan Rangel-Rubio will be held accountable for his heinous crimes.”
In October 2022, after a five-day trial in US District Court, Rangel-Rubio was found guilty of conspiracy to retaliate against a witness; conspiracy to kill a witness; conspiracy to cover up, house and shield illegal aliens; and money laundering conspiracy.
Two co-defendants are serving prison sentences for their role in the conspiracy. Rangel-Rubio’s brother, Pablo Rangel-Rubio, 53, of Rincon, was sentenced to 584 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to conceal, bring in and shield illegal aliens; money laundering conspiracy; three counts of money laundering transactions over $10,000; and aiding and abetting retaliation against a witness. Higinio Perez-Bravo, 52, of Savannah, was sentenced to 240 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Both men are Mexican nationals who are in the United States illegally and are scheduled to be deported when their sentences expire. There is no probation in the federal system.
Four other defendants were sentenced to up to 24 months in prison on charges related to the investigation, including conspiracy and illegal possession of weapons.
According to court filings and evidence presented at the trial, Pablo Rangel-Rubio worked as a supervisor at Wolf Tree, a contractor that did tree felling work on utility rights-of-way. He and his brother hired illegal aliens to work for the company, then funneled workers’ paychecks into their own bank accounts, where they siphoned off a portion of the wages for themselves. They also created fake employee accounts and forwarded this payment to themselves. As a result of this scheme, the conspirators raked in more than $3.5 million.
Montoya saw his colleagues being mistreated and complained to the company and to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After Montoya uncovered the plan, Pablo Rangel-Rubio arranged Montoya’s murder by paying Perez-Bravo to use his vehicles and acting as a getaway driver when Juan Rangel-Rubio shot Montoya outside Montoya’s house.
“This verdict means the fallout from Rangel-Rubio’s actions has caught up with him and he can no longer hurt anyone,” said Acting Special Agent Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “I’m proud of the work our amazing law enforcement partners did to bring this case to a successful conclusion and the great work they are doing to protect our communities.”
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the US Marshals Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Garden City Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant US Attorneys for the Southern District of Georgia, including Tania D. Groover.
