United States-Illegal workers in meat plant.

UNITED STATES-ILLEGAL WORKERS.

Dakota Beef has admitted it knowingly hired 15 illegal immigrants from 2007 to 2008 to work at its organic meatpacking plant in Howard.

Federal prosecutors will recommend that a judge impose a $37,500 fine against the company, according to a plea agreement filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Sioux Falls.

U.S. Attorney Marty Jackley said seven of the workers are being prosecuted on identity theft-type charges and the remaining eight either are at large or being processed for immigration violations.

An affidavit in the case is sealed, but a separate filing against one of the employees describes a June 24 immigration raid at the plant.

It said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showed up to "execute criminal arrest warrants for company employees. Shortly after entering the plant, several Hispanic employees fled the plant on foot through a rear entrance."

Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Tim Counts said agents arrested two people that day for document fraud and two on administrative violations.

He wouldn’t say how the investigation arose.

The company did not respond to a request for comment.

Jackley said the case is the first of its kind that he has filed against a South Dakota company.

"Companies which are willing to hire individuals who are not authorized to work in the United States create an incentive and opportunity for illegal workers to break the law," Jackley said.

Jackley has prosecuted business owners, but not the businesses, in two similar cases: