Former Agriprocessors manager admits to document fraud

A former top manager at Agriprocessors in Postville pleaded guilty on Monday to helping illegal workers obtain fake documentation.

Brent Beebe, 52, of Postville, pleaded to conspiracy to commit document fraud during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. He had been scheduled to go on trial Monday.

In a plea agreement, Beebe admitted he was one of two operations managers at the Postville plant and oversaw beef production at the kosher facility.

Beebe admitted that he conspired with former plant manager Sholom Rubashkin and others - a week before the massive May 12, 2008, immigration raid at the plant - to buy fake identification documents for 19 employees.

Beebe admitted to obtaining $4,500 in cash from Rubaskin to pay for the documents. A line supervisor used the money to buy the documents, which were delivered to Agriprocessors on May 11. The documents were used to complete new application paperwork.

Around eight of the illegal immigrants were to testify in Beebe's trial. All remain in the United States but are not in custody.

Beebe remains free on bond and is the operations manager at Agri Star, the new meatpacking business that took over Agriprocessors after it filed bankruptcy.

He will be sentenced following a presentence report. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Last week, Chief Judge Linda Reade sentenced two former Agriprocessors human resources employees: manager Elizabeth Billmeyer was sentenced to one year and one day in prison followed by two years supervised release; assistant Penny Hanson was sentenced to two years probation.

Only two defendants in the case remain - Hosam Amara and Zeev Levi, who are fugitives.