Feds Charge Owners of Long Island 7-Eleven Stores

A group of 9 owners of 12 different 7-Eleven stores located in Long Island and in Virginia are facing federal criminal charges involving the exploitation of illegal immigrants employed by them. The owners are accused of making these employers put in long work days and then paying them much less than they earned. It was reported by the New York Daily News that the exploited employees, which were 50 in number, worked up to 100 hours per week and received less than half of that in wages. They were made to live in boarding houses owned by the owners who would deduct their rent from their paychecks and threaten them with deportation if they did not comply.

The federal investigation into the matter was led by a Brooklyn U.S. Attorney along with Homeland Security investigators. Federal agents, New York State troopers, and Suffolk County police officers were used to locate and bring in the accused owners. The current investigation is being expanded to include 25 stores in New York City and Long Island. The owners were charged with wire fraud and identity theft used in their payroll system to defraud the employees out of their rightful earnings. They were indicted in a Long Island federal court. One of the head investigators criticized 7-Eleven for not monitoring the payroll system used by franchise holders. 7-Eleven has said it is cooperating with the investigation.

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