CALGARY – Police in Calgary have made arrests in what they’re calling a million-dollar immigration scam.
Three people with Kihew Energy Services have been charged with illegally luring workers over from Eastern Europe and exploiting them between 2005 and 2006.
Police say the accused had a third party file false statements with the government saying the workers were in Canada to train as students.
In fact, the workers were forced to live in cramped apartments, paid low wages, and were subcontracted out to work for other companies.
Police say that Kihew pocketed the profits and made a million dollars over a six-month period.
John Lipinski, Angela Lipinksi, and Calvin Steinhauer of Edmonton have been charged and will appear in provincial court on July 25th.
The majority of the 60 or so workers have returned to Poland or the Ukraine; just 12 remain in Alberta and are trying to sort out their immigration status with the Canadian government.
Comments