Cristhian Rivera, charged in Mollie Tibbetts' death, worked at a farm owned by a prominent Iowa Republican family

Austin Cannon | The Des Moines Register

Show Caption Hide Caption First degree murder charges filed in Mollie Tibbetts investigation Rick Rahn with Iowa DCI provides details on the murder suspect in the disappearance of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts.

Editor's note: Yarabee Farms, Cristhian Rivera's employer, said Tuesday that they had used the federal E-Verify program to vet Rivera's identity. On Wednesday, officials from the farm acknowledged they had not used the E-Verify system and that Rivera had given them false information.

Cristhian Rivera, the man accused in the death of Mollie Tibbetts, worked for a Brooklyn-area farm owned by the brother of a prominent Iowa Republican.

In a statement Tuesday night, Dane Lang, of Yarrabee Farms, said Rivera was an “employee in good standing” and was “shocked to hear” Rivera was implicated.

UPDATE: What we know about alleged killer Cristhian Bahena Rivera

Dane Lang is the son of Craig Lang, the former president of both the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and the Iowa Board of Regents and a 2018 Republican candidate for state secretary of agriculture. Documents immediately reviewed by the Des Moines Register listed several owners of Yarrabee Farms, including Dane Lang and Eric Lang, Craig's brother.

MORE: Man charged in Tibbetts' death was working in Iowa legally, lawyer says

INVESTIGATOR: Rivera 'hadn't come across the radar' until Monday

RELATED: Complete coverage of Mollie's disappearance

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In the statement, Dane Lang said Rivera worked for Yarrabee Farms for four years and "was vetted through the government's E-Verify system."

Yarrabee Farms is not registered in the government system, though, which is a requirement to run a check on even one employee.

The company did not immediately respond Wednesday to questions about its vetting process.

Investigators visited the farm Monday to speak with employees.

Investigators said Rivera was in the country without proper legal documentation.

In the wake of Rivera's arrest, Republicans, including President Donald Trump and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, inveighed against the country's immigration system.

The remains of a young woman believed to be Tibbetts were found Tuesday morning in rural Poweshiek County. The University of Iowa student went missing the night of July 18.

TIBBETTS FAMILY RELEASES STATEMENT: 'Our hearts are broken'

RELATED: University of Iowa students to honor Mollie Tibbetts Wednesday

Read the full statement from Yarrabee Farms below:

“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Mollie Tibbetts. This is a profoundly sad day for our community. All of us at Yarrabee Farms are shocked to hear that one of our employees was involved and is charged in this case. This individual has worked at our farms for four years, was vetted through the government's E-Verify system, and was an employee in good standing. On Monday, the authorities visited our farm and talked to our employees. We have cooperated fully with their investigation. Yarrabee Farms follows all laws related to verifying employees are legal to work in the United States, and we regularly seek outside counsel to ensure we stay up-to-date on employment law matters. We keep records on all employees and have shared that information with authorities. We appreciate the hard work of law enforcement officials. We will continue to cooperate with authorities as the investigation moves forward.”

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.