Raid at Del Carmen Mexican Store
Del Carmen Mexican Store is a general store where migrant farm workers can get the things they miss – a familiar home-cooked meal, Spanish-labeled soda and movies and music, plantains and jalapenos, La Princesa ice pops – and also the things they need – Wrangler jeans, sturdy boots, wide-brimmed hats, soccer gear. Men, tired, stretch their legs at the tables along the wall and eat the food women in the kitchen pass over the counter. On the shelf near a counter, there are nearly a dozen books on how to learn English.
The mood at Del Carmen on Friday was quiet. No one wanted to talk about what happened the morning before, when masked detectives raided the place.
People who know store owner Jose Frias, 41, say he’s a quiet, polite, nice man. They’re shocked that something like this – and on this scale – could happen.
A criminal mastermind? Jose?
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is saying that, in 21/2 years, $48-million passed through the hands of Jose Frias, who also owns La Onda nightclub in Dade City. During their Thursday morning raid, detectives found $80,000 in cash piled in Del Carmen and another $210,000 in La Onda and Frias’ residences.
The $48-million, the Sheriff’s Office says, was filtered through Frias in checks he cashed for migrant farm workers, money transfers sent back to Mexico and other laundering methods as part of some kind of criminal enterprise.
The operating budget for Dade City, population 7,200, is only $5-million.
Authorities say they have been investigating Frias for two and a half years. But after their raid on his businesses and homes Thursday, they now have thousands of documents and ledgers to burrow through, to find out where this money came from, where it went and why. The investigation, in many ways, is just starting.
Frias was arrested Thursday on charges of illegal check cashing and racketeering. The Sheriff’s Office says he overcharged migrant workers to cash checks, and there was fraud involved in sending money transfers to Mexico. He is being held at the Land O’Lakes jail in lieu of $150,000 bail.
The Sheriff’s Office released a report Friday saying that Frias and his 35-year-old wife, Maria, “admitted to knowingly and consciously operating a criminal enterprise.”
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is working with the investigation. Doug Tobin, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, said that no drug charges have been filed. Though Tobin said Maria Frias admitted her participation, she has not been arrested or charged yet.
Tobin said both Jose and Maria Frias have been cooperative with detectives.
He also said, as the investigation continues, more arrests could be made.
Steve Cole, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tampa, said the office is aware of Jose Frias’ arrest and it is monitoring the case. Cole said Frias could face federal charges but doesn’t have any yet.
Posted: March 26th, 2007 under Uncategorized.
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