Shreveport Reporter

U.S. Attorney's Office Western District of Louisiana issued the following announcement on Jan. 15.

A Bossier City oil and gas company owner made his initial appearance today, January 15, 2020, on behalf of himself and his company, after being charged in an 18-count indictment for allegedly harboring aliens, announced David C. Joseph, United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana.

Tim Icenhower, 57, of Marshall, Texas, and Icenhower Oil and Gas, Inc., a pipeline and oilfield construction company located in Bossier City, Louisiana, were indicted by a federal grand jury on December 11, 2019, on 18 counts of harboring aliens. Icenhower appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby where he was advised of his rights and the charges pending against him and his company.

The government did not move to detain the defendant and Icenhower was released on bond. Magistrate Judge Hornsby has scheduled a status conference for March 16, 2020, to set a timeline for discovery matters and a trial date. 

According to allegations contained in the indictment, between January 2017 and continuing to the present, Icenhower Oil and Gas, Inc., and Tim Icenhower knowingly employed illegal aliens and, in doing so, encouraged them to reside in the United States, aware that such residence was in violation of the law.

If convicted, Tim Icenhower faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count, and three years of supervised release; Icenhower Oil and Gas, Inc. faces a $500,000 fine for each count.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

Original source can be found here.