Dayton, Ohio – Federal authorities have launched a sweeping civil forfeiture case tied to an ongoing investigation of what they allege is a massive $126 million illegal staffing and money laundering scheme operating in and around Dayton. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced the complaint earlier this month, citing widespread abuse involving undocumented labor, money laundering, and fraudulent shell companies.
In July 2024, Homeland Security Investigations agents, working with the IRS Criminal Investigations division and other law enforcement agencies, executed federal search warrants at Fuyao Glass America (FGA) in Moraine, Ohio, and 27 additional locations across the Dayton region. The civil complaint now filed builds upon the evidence collected during those coordinated raids.
According to the complaint, multiple individuals created roughly 40 companies—referred to as the “target entities”—designed to support the harboring, transport, and employment of illegal aliens at numerous Ohio factories. Among those factories, FGA has been identified as a key location. These entities are accused of staffing manufacturing jobs with individuals who entered the U.S. illegally, lack lawful presence, or are working without proper employment authorization.
The civil action claims that many workers were smuggled into the country, mainly through Mexico, and encouraged to settle in the Dayton area to work for one of the target entities. Most of the workers are of Chinese or Hispanic nationality. Once in Ohio, the complaint alleges, the workers were housed in boarding-style accommodations—referred to as “family-style hotels”—owned by the target entities. These workers were then transported to and from factory job sites using vehicles operated by the same group of companies.
“We will continue to investigate allegations of unfair labor practices,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “Collaboration across multiple law enforcement agencies helps to ensure accountability for both employers and the workforce.”
The 74-page civil complaint further alleges that the suspects engaged in a sophisticated money laundering scheme to obscure the vast income collected from these operations. Within days of receiving direct payments from FGA, the suspects reportedly wired large sums of money between their various limited liability companies (LLCs), obscuring the source and purpose of the funds. The U.S. government claims that Fuyao Glass America paid more than $126 million to the entities over time.
These funds were allegedly used to enrich the suspects personally and to buy numerous high-value assets, including real estate, vehicles, and luxury items. The civil forfeiture complaint specifically targets seven bank accounts, 12 properties in the Dayton area, two properties outside Ohio, 15 vehicles, and various luxury goods—including a Cartier watch.
While no criminal charges have been filed yet, officials confirmed that the criminal investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have not yet released the names of individuals or specific companies involved.
This case represents one of the most extensive illegal staffing and laundering investigations ever undertaken in the region, with law enforcement agencies working together to dismantle what they describe as a complex network that exploits both vulnerable workers and the system.
