KANSAS CITY, Kan. – A co-owner of two metro hotels was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison on Tuesday for employing undocumented workers at the locations.
Rhonda R. Bridge, 42, and her husband, Munir Ahmad Chaudary, 53, both of Overland Park, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to harbor undocumented aliens for personal gain. In their pleas, they admitted to employing undocumented workers at the Clarion Hotel at 7000 W. 108th in Overland Park, and another Clarion Hotel location at 11828 NW Plaza Circle in Kansas City, Mo.
According to a release from U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom, Chaudary and Bridge lowered their hotels’ operating costs and put themselves at a competitive advantage by not paying Social Security, Workers Compensation and unemployment insurance for the undocumented workers.
According to court records, an investigation began in December 2011 when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Kansas Department of Revenue received information that the owners of the hotels were employing illegal workers who were not considered lawfully present in the U.S. And in 2012 and undercover agent was hired by one of the hotel locations even though he informed his potential employers that he was not authorized to work in the U.S.
A hotel manager and desk clerk were already sentenced in this case. Co-defendant Chaudary is currently awaiting sentencing.