The owners and operators of ten 7-Eleven stores on Long Island and four in Virginia have been indicted in a massive scheme to employ illegal aliens and steal “significant portions” of their pay, The Post has learned.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are in the process of rounding up the suspects, including mastermind Farrukh Baig, who owns, co-owns or controls a dozen of the stores, a law-enforcement source said.
The nine defendants are accused of employing dozens of aliens, and using of stolen identities to process their wages through 7-Eleven’s automated payroll system, the source said.
They allegedly required the workers to kick back a big part of their earnings, and also pay cash to live in rental housing that the defendants own.
In addition to filing criminal charges, the feds are seeking forfeiture of the 14 stores used in the scheme, the source said.
Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch is scheduled to reveal more details at a press conference later this morning.
“7-Eleven is aware of today’s activity and has been cooperating with federal authorities during their investigation. We will have no further comment until we learn more,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement.