Owners of Houston tortilla company plead guilty to employing undocumented workers

Federal agents raid a tortilla factory in the Heights, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, in Houston. The raid began about 10 a.m. at La Espiga de Oro at 1200 15th Street near Shepherd. Eleven workers from the factory were detained at the scene. less Federal agents raid a tortilla factory in the Heights, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, in Houston. The raid began about 10 a.m. at La Espiga de Oro at 1200 15th Street near Shepherd. Eleven workers from the factory were ... more Photo: Cody Duty, Houston Chronicle Photo: Cody Duty, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 14 Caption Close Owners of Houston tortilla company plead guilty to employing undocumented workers 1 / 14 Back to Gallery

The owners of a Houston tortilla company plead guilty to federal charges of employing undocumented workers for nearly four years.

The owners of La Espiga De Oro (Espiga) plead guilty to misdemeanor violations associated with their continued employment of undocumented workers between October 2011 and August 2015, according to a news release from the Department of Justice (DOJ) Friday morning.

The owners also forfeited $1 million following the felony conviction of conspiracy to induce and encourage unlawful immigration through a pattern and practice of hiring and employing illegal workers, said acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez in the news release.

BACKGROUND: Owners of Heights tortilla factory charged with illegally hiring workers

The people found guilty include owners Alfredo Sosa Lira, 72, his wife Lydia Botello-Lira, 68, their daughter Lydia Lira, 25, and night manager Roberto Guerra, 45.

"Employers who knowingly hire immigrants with fraudulent or suspect documents face serious consequences under the law," Martinez said. "This company violated the law by allowing more than half of its employees to work as undocumented immigrants. The $1 million forfeiture will help pay for the investigation and assist immigration authorities in their continued pursuit of employers who engage in similar conduct. Enforcement of our immigration laws is serious business and employers must only hire those with legitimate documentation to demonstrate they are legally in the United States."

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Espiga opened in 1977 and is located on the 1200 block of 15th Street in the Heights neighborhood. The company made tortillas for distribution to restaurants and businesses throughout Texas, Louisiana and Colorado, the Department of Justice added.

The investigation into Espiga began on Aug. 4, 2015, when Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant on the business. HSI discovered 10 undocumented workers "as well as evidence demonstrating that 55 percent of their employees were not authorized by law to work at the factory," the DOJ said.

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"One long-term employee that the company knew to be employed illegally was injured on the job and received a settlement under her true name after using an alias for more than six years. The company owners and managers continued to employ this alien knowing that she was illegally in the United States," stated the DOJ.

Espiga is currently under a 12 month probation imposed by the DOJ. The company was fined more than $100,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) last summer for dangerous working conditions that could have led to amputations, falls, and heat exhaustion.