Two Companies, Executives Sentenced for Illegal Workers

FORT WORTH, Texas — Two executives of a company that hired illegal immigrants to do janitorial work at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport were sentenced Monday to federal prison.

Karen Sue Rowell, 48, president of Midwest Airport Services Inc., was sentenced to nine months and fined $5,000. Edward John Pitre, 49, the company’s former operations manager, was sentenced to 15 months and fined $1,000, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Midwest and Service Performance Corp., which also provides janitorial services for DFW Airport, pleaded guilty in March to immigration violations. On Monday, Midwest was ordered to pay a $150,000 fine, and SPC was ordered to pay $600,000.

Midwest admitted hiring at least 50 illegal immigrants for airport jobs, and SPC admitted hiring at least 200 illegal immigrants to work there from 1999 through 2002. During part of that time, Midwest and SPC had common ownership.

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