By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

NEW ORLEANS – A pair of illegal immigrants who acquired fake identification cards to work as subcontractors at a St. John Parish refinery were charged in federal court Friday with fraud and misuse of a permanent resident card, according to a release from U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

A grand jury handed down separate one-count indictments Friday for Eduardo Salinas-Trevino, 36, and Silverio Castillo-Montoya, 37, both citizens of Mexico. Letten’s release states the two men are accused of knowingly using counterfeit permanent residency cards as proof of identification in order to gain entry into the Marathon Oil Refinery in Garyville. The men were working at the refinery as subcontractors in connection with an expansion project at the refinery.

If convicted, Salinas-Trevino and Castillo-Montoya each face maximum prison terms of 10 years, fines of $250,000 and three years of supervised release after incarceration.

The release states special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation that led to the indictments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Kennedy will handle the prosecution.