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Vinton Restaurant Owners Sentenced For Hiring, Harboring Illegal Aliens

The owners of The Galley Restaurant in Vinton, Iowa, were each sentenced here to more than two years in federal prison today for hiring and harboring illegal aliens following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Sadik Seferi, 42, and Nicole Tipton, 24, were each convicted by a jury May 10 of one count of hiring illegal aliens, one count of harboring illegal aliens, and one count of conspiracy to hire illegal aliens.  U.S. District Court Judge Linda R. Reade sentenced Seferi to 30 months in prison and Tipton to 27 months in prison without the possibility of parole.  In addition, both were fined $5,000 each.

Seferi, a native of Macedonia and a permanent U.S. resident, has previous convictions in Illinois for aggravated criminal sexual abuse and domestic battery.  When he's released from prison, ICE will place him into deportation proceedings.

Seferi and Tipton purchased the restaurant property in Vinton, Iowa, in June 2005.  They operated The Galley Restaurant from September 2005 through March 2006.  Evidence admitted at trial showed that during this period Seferi and Tipson hired at least six illegal aliens to work at the restaurant.  Tipton rented two different apartments in Vinton to harbor the illegal aliens.  After an illegal alien employee was arrested for assaulting a woman who lived next door, the group was moved to the second apartment. Read more at ice.gov
 

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