MO legislator pleads guilty to immigration fraud

Nathan Cooper, who represents Cape Girardeau in the Missouri House, has pleaded guilty to fraud because he allegedly helped seasonal workers come into the country and work as truck drivers. (Seasonal workers are allowed, but driving trucks is one of the jobs they aren't cleared to do.)

Cooper, 33, could get 15 years and a $500K fine. The authorities say he set up shell companies and bought visas. AP reports that he'll resign from the legislature and surrender his law license.

Comments

[JewwellsP]

News like this helps the Republican's?

[Searching]

Ok, now they are giving away the jobs that Americans will do!

[Mickey Mouse]

"Speedy Express was not an active business, the work involved was year-round and no attempt was made to find U.S. workers."

Ok, now you all know why US workers are losing their homes, cars, whatever. These gov't morons need to be shipped directly out-of-country...say Mexico??? and not be allowed back in! Big businesses who have industry HERE should use US workers HERE. If they want Mexican workers, then move all their crap to Mexico, freeken morons. That way, small businesses will really prosper instead of some monopoly giant stepping on them... Too bad Bush's pix was not next to his!

[willow]

This guy sure wasted his hard work to get a law license. Of course, that is assuming he got it legally.

[jalovsky]

our politicans are morons. thats why were loseing the war

[BF]

"Big businesses who have industry HERE should use US workers HERE."
Posted by: Mickey Mouse

Imagine if this guy got his way and illegal workers didn't exist. Imagine if every union got their way on salaries and benifits. Imagine if every worker who felt he was underpaid got paid what he/she thought they were worth.

If all of this were true, imagine how high the cost of living would be. Nobody could afford to raise their families with products and services that high priced to cover using ONLY US workers, giving unions their demanded share, etc.

This is america and money talks. As long as the general public continues to demand the lowest cost on all items they need and want to purchase, the companies will always be looking for ways to give them what they want and at the price they want to pay for it.

Just something to think about...

[Nick]

"Imagine if this guy got his way and illegal workers didn't exist. Imagine if every union got their way on salaries and benifits. Imagine if every worker who felt he was underpaid got paid what he/she thought they were worth." - BF

I can't believe you are actually trying to justify flooding the labor market with illegal aliens as a legitimate method of cost control.
I could understand the tactic if the vast majority of people displaced by them were dead, but, you're trying to sell this nonsense to the very people who are the victims of your sales pitch BF.
Granted, people bought it when industry groups and politicians played them for fools with "Right to Work" laws. The swallowed it hook, line and sinker when women were tricked into believing they were being cheated out of something they had coming. These very same people are also now aware that the US workforce was doubled, while their pay was cut in half.
Most are even smart enough to know that the main reason for what has happened to our children, with gangs and no concept of respect for others is tied directly to forcing both parents to work outside the home in order to survive.

[Diekirch]

The only difference between Cooper and some other legislators is that he got caught. He didn't own the prosecutor or pay off witnesses to avoid prosecution.

[OLE MO/KY ALLEN]

I AM A CONSERVATIVE "MIDDLE OF THE ROADER" I HOPE HIS LAW LICENSE IS TAKEN AWAY FOR LIFE AND THEY WORK WITH THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT AND SEND HIM TO PRISON IN MEXICO FOR AT LEAST 15 YEARS AND HAVE HIM SPEND HIS TIME DRIVING A TRUCK (A DUMP TRUCK WHICH HE IS REQUIRED TO LOAD AND UNLOAD WITH GRAVEL USING A HAND SHOVEL).....AND YOU KNOW, HE WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN SUCH A RACKET IF HE HAD GOD IN HIS LIFE.

[CRD]

A Republican engaging in immigration fraud. Oh, the irony.

[deadhead]

Hey ,bf, America genius.

[Adrian]

It is painful to see what has happened to Rep. Cooper, maybe like so many Americans he got trapped by the twin vices of greed and living the extravagant life without the means to fund this lifestyle. Since he pleaded guilty and did not waste the courts time, I hope some degree of lenience will be exercised by the judge who will be passsing sentence on Oct 19.I am one of his legitimate clients and I would not hesitate to take the stand anywhere to say that in my dealings with him(since 2004), I have found him to be very knowledgeable, honest(with my case), hardworking and generous to the extent that he is not a money grabber, like so many others in his erstwhile profession. We all make mistakes but for the grace of God, many of us would have been dead or be rotting in prison; May the Lord have mercy on him and his immediate family, and I wish to add, "he or she that is without sin, let them come forward and pull the trigger of condemnation and self righteousness. Make no mistake about it, a good man has fallen, so therefore, no one should gloat over his demise, but rather, let up offer sincere prayers for him and the rehabilitation process that he is to undergo.

[dickeylee]

Adrian, are you really SouthernGirl? "A good man has fallen"?? "May the lord have mercy on him"?? What cow dung!! He set up shell corporations to knowingly hire ILLEGAL's to drive trucks, ILLEGALLY, but he wasn't a "money grubber"??
And hey James Hart, why didn't you mention that he is a Republican? Just slipped your mind? Did Kraske tell you not to, so as to not impugn those "good" Republicans? Like our cripple-kickin Gov.?

[PTT]

I can't believe someone would take up for this criminal politician! Just because you think he didn't screw you over with your dealings with him doesn't mean he wouldn't have eventually! Politicians who are caught betraying the public's trust should be maxed out as far as fine/sentencing. His pleading guilty is just a ploy to get some judge, that is probably as crooked as him, to go light on him! I've said it before...the judges keep the lawyers in business and visa versa! Like the never ending circle, no beginning and no end.

[old coach]

The US Attorney's Office did an outstanding job. Law eforcement should be for all citizens, not just gang bangers. We all know that an attorney is an Officer of the Court and there is no excuse for intentionally and blatantly offending the laws they are sworn to uphold......They are supposed to be role models for all.....

[L Cabanas]

Thsi greedy selfserving excuse of a person really did a service by being so blatant and careless. Prosecutors may now look at these schemes with a bit more suspicion and close some of the loopholes being exploited by employers who are collecting profits and earnings off the backs of working Americans.

Their wealth may grow, but only at the expense of the many who must labor at wages artificially kept down by the use of our modern equivalent of scab workers.

I hope they farm his worthless butt to Maricopa County jail. I'm certain Sheriff Joe Arpaio would take exemplary care of him. Noww if our local law enforcement were a bit more like Joe....

[Tony]

Anti-immigration posters, continue to blast away. Those of faith, pray for this man and his family. I only met with Nathan on a couple of occasions and he seemed like a nice young guy who really worked in hard in his job for the State.

This will haunt him and ruin his chances for a career for the next 30 years. There is a lot of responsibility given when one holds a law license and Nathan is now a bad example.

I personally know what it is like to be tempted to pursue a matter for clients that cannot and should not be pursued. I was able to tell my clients no and return their money, even though I really needed it at the time.

Anyone, your son, brother or parent, can make bad decisions. Nathan made a bad decision and he will pay dearly for it.

[bw]

"like so many Americans he got trapped by the twin vices" - Adrian

Well I guess I'm naive to think that our so called leaders should live to a higher standard of honesty, integrity. Most of the people I know would not risk their futures and their families' lives for material desires. I will pray for his family but this "nice" guy dug his own hole. I'm not saying to make an example of this man but he should get what he has earned like any average American would.

[milwolf]

how stupid !

The American public knows how to solve the illegal immigration problem.

However, greedy businessmen and politicans from both parties are obstructions to anything being resolved. I am confident that God will make them atone for their actions!