headofjustice.jpg

New Jersey federal prosecutors say a federal immigration officer arrested Thursday morning on a charge of harboring an illegal alien knew that his girlfriend was in the country illegally.

(Star-Ledger file photo)

NEWARK — A federal immigration officer was arrested Thursday morning on charges that he put his girlfriend to work at a side business in West Orange despite knowing she was in the country illegally, authorities say.

Arnaldo Echevarria, 37, was charged with harboring an illegal alien and making false statements after surrendering to agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of Professional Responsibility, New Jersey federal prosecutors say.

Echevarria, of Somerset, works as a deportation officer with ICE, a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

In December 2012, his bosses gave him permission to open a hair salon in West Orange after he promised that it would not conflict with his work and would not employ individuals in the country illegally, prosecutors say.

Despite that, prosecutors say Echevarria put his girlfriend in charge of the salon even though he knew she had entered the country illegally by using the name of a citizen of Puerto Rico to obtain a Pennsylvania identification card.

Authorities confirmed that Echevarria and the unidentified woman were in a relationship through a check of her Facebook page, according to a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court.

"I love you, Etch," the woman wrote under a picture of the both of them posted in March 2013, the complaint says.

Before opening the salon, they say he queried his girlfriend's name in various law enforcement databases.

And, prosecutors say, Echevarria tried to hide the woman's illegal status by signing the lease for her Newark apartment and placing utility bills in his name.

Employees at the salon were paid in cash and Echevarria did not require them to fill out employment eligibility papers, prosecutors added.

During the fall of 2013, federal agents installed a camera on a pole near the salon, which captured Echevarria driving the woman to and from the salon, the complaint says.

During a December 2014 interview, the woman admitted to authorities that she told Echevarria that she had entered the country illegally and was using an alias, the complaint adds.

Echevarria faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

He is expected to appear before U.S. District Court Judge Steven Mannion Thursday afternoon.

Thomas Zambito may be reached at tzambito@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomZambito. Find NJ.com on Facebook.