Federal prosecutors in Newark, New Jersey have accused a deportation officer of harboring his girlfriend, who is in the U.S. illegally, and lying about his ownership of a hair salon.
Thirty-seven-year-old Arnaldo Echevarria of Somerset is scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Thursday. He is employed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Authorities said ICE gave Echevarria permission to open a hair salon in West Orange in 2012 as long as it would not involve people who were in the U.S. illegally. Prosecutors said Echevarria knew his girlfriend and anther salon employee were not legally in the U.S.
Authorities said he paid employees in cash and never asked them to fill out employment paperwork.
Harboring and making false statements are each punishable by up to five years in prison.
