South Carolina Busts Illegal Immigrant Hiring Ring at Factory

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that the state grand jury handed down six indictments in the investigation codenamed “Ghost Story,” according to Breitbart News. The operation resulted in the arrest of 48 workers and six employers accused of enabling the use of fraudulent identity documents.

Attorney General Wilson issued a stern warning to those involved in such schemes. If you are unlawfully aiding illegal immigrants in South Carolina, you are going to be investigated and will be prosecuted, he stated, emphasizing that employers who exploit American identities while circumventing legal hiring requirements will face justice.

The indictments and coordinated raids on the Burnstein Von Seelen Precision Casting Plant in Abbeville, South Carolina, represent the culmination of a nearly two-year investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies.

Wilson stressed the broader implications of such criminal networks, noting that these crimes not only deprive American citizens of employment opportunities but also create serious national security vulnerabilities. When illegal aliens obtain fraudulent identification documents with such ease, authorities lose track of who is actually working in sensitive sectors, including national security and manufacturing facilities.

Six Employers Indicted in Multi-County Operation

The Attorney General’s office identified six individuals indicted following the “Ghost Story” investigation:

Jose Luis Aguilar Mejia faces charges in Greenwood County including two counts of forgery over $10,000 and three counts of identity fraud. He remains at large and is currently wanted by authorities.

Lazaro Hernandez Hernandez, also known as “Diego Hernandez,” was charged in Greenville County with forgery over $10,000 and identity fraud. Judge Daniel Coble denied bond on April 22, 2025.

Xavier Martinez Adorno was indicted in Horry County on four counts of forgery over $10,000 and three counts of identity fraud.

Zenon Rojas-Cabrera faces charges in Newberry County including two counts of identity fraud to obtain employment and four counts of forgery over $10,000. Judge Coble set a $50,000 surety bond on September 17, 2025.

Christopher Douglas Ramey and Sandy Lynn Willis, both indicted in Abbeville County, face charges of criminal conspiracy, identity fraud to obtain employment, and forgery over $10,000. Both were arrested on June 3, 2026.

Ramey and Willis served as managers at Burnstein Von Seelen Precision Casting and allegedly violated their legal obligations to verify the legitimacy of employee identification documents before hiring.

Stolen American Identities Used for Employment Fraud

According to the investigation detailed by Breitbart News, the remaining defendants operated as “document vendors” who supplied forged state driver’s licenses, social security cards, and other fraudulent identification to illegal immigrants throughout South Carolina.

These counterfeit documents utilized the dates of birth and Social Security numbers of actual United States citizens, representing a direct theft of American identities.

Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in North and South Carolina, emphasized that the crimes uncovered are far from victimless. When illegal aliens use stolen identities and forged documents, they victimize law-abiding citizens whose personal information is misused and undermine community security. Such actions also enable businesses to profit from illegal labor at the expense of honest workers and employers.

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark A. Keel described the raid as the direct result of an exhaustive, years-long investigation. He declared that the operation should serve as a deterrent to anyone participating in illegal employment schemes.

Employers who knowingly and willfully hire illegal labor must be held accountable, Keel stated, adding that employees who provide fraudulent documents to gain employment will be brought to justice. He made clear that illegal employment schemes will not be tolerated in South Carolina.

Widespread Network of Document Fraud Exposed

The state grand jury indictments reveal the extensive problem of how readily illegal immigrants in South Carolina can obtain fake United States and state identification from document vendors operating throughout the state.

The charges allege that Burnstein Von Seelen Precision Casting managers knowingly facilitated the use of fraudulent identification by illegal immigrants they employed, deliberately ignoring verification procedures required by law.

Officials confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing, suggesting additional arrests and charges may follow as authorities continue to dismantle the network.

Each forgery charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years, while identity fraud charges also carry up to 10 years. Criminal conspiracy charges carry sentences of up to 5 years.

With information from Breitbart News