A court date has been pushed back for a man who was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly using his business to bring in and harbor illegal aliens, and a plea agreement for him is still on the table.
A court case for Juan Antonio Perez, who owns Aztec Framing and Aztec Builders, has yet to be scheduled. Perez’s attorney, Zachary Greene, said they are still in the pre-trial stages of the case.
Greene wouldn’t say whether Perez is considering the possibility of a plea agreement because the case and negotiations are ongoing.
“The judge controls his schedule,” Greene said. “We’re working hard on the case and we’re in that period of the government providing us with evidence and waiting on the court to set a trial date.”
On May 7, a federal grand jury indicted Perez, who immigrated to the United States from Mexico illegally as a teenager. Homeland Security investigators seized his business records, 14 guns, assets from 11 bank accounts and $700,000 in cash.
Perez is facing two charges in U.S. District Court: bringing in and harboring illegal aliens for financial gain and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
In June, Perez and his attorneys filed a motion for the return of his property. The motion was denied Aug. 1 by Magistrate Judge Walter Johnson.
That same day, the court ordered the case ready for trial.
More than two months later on Oct. 9, U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash signed an order for an “excludable delay” after the court was told the case “may be resolved without the necessity of a trial,” according to court documents.
The order essentially gives Perez and his legal team more time to consider a guilty plea.
Perez was at the center of a pursuit that dated back at least six years. Homeland Security Investigations agents raided offices in Hixson and Rossville, Georgia, in June targeting Perez and his construction company for money laundering.
Perez has operated a multimillion-dollar business by underpaying immigrants who are in the United States illegally, according to an affidavit from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent James Rives. Perez is also accused of failing to withhold federal payroll and Social Security taxes.
In addition to the local offices, agents raided a Cartersville restaurant tied to Perez, as well as three Georgia homes he owns.
Perez paid a team to insulate him, according to the affidavit. Legal residents and U.S. citizens put utility bills and registered cars in their names. One man told agents he acquired a gun for Perez.
According to the affidavit, ICE pursued charges against Perez of harboring aliens for commercial advantage and illegal possession of a firearm. Because the business qualifies as “unlawful activity,” Rives argued in his affidavit, any spending from the proceeds of the company amounts to money laundering as well.
Contact Patrick Filbin at pfilbin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow him on Twitter @PatrickFilbin.