Herndon, VA asked in Criminal Law, Employment Law and Immigration Law for Virginia

Q: an illegal immigrant who works at a store is accused of theft where paid under table. Should store owner report crime?

An illegal immigrant who works at a store is accused of theft where paid under the table. Who has more to lose if the store owner wants to report the crime because he/she employed the employee without documentation. The store owner might have video surveillance that shows the crime but can't prove any definitive amount stolen. Should the immigrant quit the job and get away ? Can he/she be deported because of this?

1 Lawyer Answer
Bryan J. Jones
Bryan J. Jones
Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Charlottesville, VA
  • Licensed in Virginia

A: I would say that the immigrant is more likely to be deported than the store owner get in trouble, especially if the amount stolen is $500 or more because that would be a felony.

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