Kansas Man Sentenced For Cashing Checks To Pay Undocumented Workers
2017-05-31 · Press release
WICHITA, KAN. – An Olathe man was sentenced Wednesday to time served (three years) for cashing millions of dollars’ worth of checks to pay undocumented workers for installing drywall, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Jose Torres-Garcia, 53, Olathe, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of harboring or encouraging aliens to reside in the U.S. unlawfully and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. In his plea, he admitted he cashed checks for construction crew leaders so they could pay themselves and their crews. Operating from his business at Boost Mobile, 1319 Santa Fe, Olathe, Kan., Torres-Garcia received checks made payable to “Jose R. Torres Drywall,” even though he was not in the drywall business. He deposited the checks and distributed cash back to the crew leaders for distribution among the workers. Investigators determined that approximately $14 million passed through Torres-Garcia’s account in two years.
Beall commended Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson for their work on the case.
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- https://www.justice.gov/usao-ks/pr/kansas-man-sentenced-cashing-checks-pay-undocumented-workers
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| participant_id | name | role | title | organization | location | age | nationality | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2424 | Jose Torres-Garcia | defendant | Jose R. Torres Drywall | Olathe, Kan. | 53 | sentenced | ||
| 2425 | Tom Beall | prosecutor | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Wichita, KAN | |||
| 2426 | Jabari Wamble | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Wichita, KAN | |||
| 2427 | Brent Anderson | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Wichita, KAN |
| agency_id | agency_name | abbreviation | role | office_location | agents_mentioned | contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1548 | U.S. Attorney's Office | USAO | prosecution | Wichita, Kansas | Jabari Wamble, Brent Anderson | Handling prosecution and legal proceedings, commended for their work on the case |
| 1549 | Homeland Security Investigations | HSI | investigation | Contributed to the investigation leading to the case | ||
| 1550 | Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation | IRS-CI | investigation | Investigated financial aspects of the case including unlicensed money transmitting activities |
| charge_id | charge_description | statute | severity | max_penalty | fine_amount | defendant | status | participant_id | cl_docket_id | count_num | is_1960 | verified_1960 | source | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1268 | harboring or encouraging aliens to reside in the U.S. unlawfully | Jose Torres-Garcia | pleaded guilty | 0 | enrichment | |||||||||
| 1269 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business | Jose Torres-Garcia | pleaded guilty | 1 | enrichment | 2026-09-16T19:45:59+00:00 | ||||||||
| 3366 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:59+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 3367 | unlicensed money transmitting business | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:59+00:00 |
| fin_id | action_type | amount | currency | description | asset_type | defendant | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1202 | seizure | $14 million | USD | cashed checks for construction crew leaders | cash | Jose Torres-Garcia | completed |
| victim_id | victim_type | description | number_affected | loss_amount | geographic_scope | vulnerability_factors | impact_description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 373 | individual | undocumented workers | Kansas | undocumented immigrants | Paid through illegal financial transactions as part of harboring/unlawful residence |
| quote_id | quote_text | speaker_name | speaker_title | speaker_organization | quote_type | context | significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2395 | An Olathe man was sentenced Wednesday to time served (three years) for cashing millions of dollars’ worth of checks to pay undocumented workers for installing drywall | statement | Sentencing announcement | Describes the crime and punishment | |||
| 2396 | Jose Torres-Garcia, 53, Olathe, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of harboring or encouraging aliens to reside in the U.S. unlawfully and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. | statement | Plea agreement details | Details the charges and guilty plea | |||
| 2397 | He cashed checks for construction crew leaders so they could pay themselves and their crews. | statement | Description of the illegal activity | Explains the method of the crime | |||
| 2398 | Operating from his business at Boost Mobile, 1319 Santa Fe, Olathe, Kan., Torres-Garcia received checks made payable to 'Jose R. Torres Drywall,' even though he was not in the drywall business. | statement | Details of the operation | Provides specifics about the illegal operation | |||
| 2399 | Investigators determined that approximately $14 million passed through Torres-Garcia’s account in two years. | statement | Investigation findings | Quantifies the scale of the illegal activity | |||
| 2400 | Beall commended Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson for their work on the case. | statement | Acknowledgment of investigative and prosecutorial efforts | Recognizes the contributions of various agencies and individuals |
| theme_id | theme_name | description | significance | related_statutes | geographic_scope | temporal_aspects | stakeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1738 | Harboring/Encouraging Aliens | Admitted to cashing checks for construction crew leaders to pay undocumented workers, enabling their unlawful U.S. residency. | Violates immigration laws by facilitating illegal residency and labor exploitation. | 8 U.S.C. § 1324 | National | Two-year period (case duration) | Law enforcement, U.S. Attorney, undocumented workers |
| 1739 | Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business | Operated without a license, cashing $14 million in checks through his Boost Mobile business to distribute cash to crew leaders. | Violates financial regulations and enables illicit financial activities. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | Local (Olathe, Kansas) | Two-year period (case duration) | Law enforcement, financial institutions, Boost Mobile, construction crews |
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