(WXYZ) — A Michigan couple has been arrested and charged with allegedly hiring hundreds of undocumented workers while bringing in tens of millions of dollars for their plumbing business.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York, Moises Orduna-Rios, 36, and Raquel Orduna-Rios, 30, of Plymouth, MI, were arrested and charged on Tuesday.
They were charged with conspiracy, transporting and harboring unauthorized aliens for commercial advantage of private gain, conspiracy to bring in, harbor, and transport unauthorized aliens, employment of at least 10 unauthorized aliens within a 12-month period, engaging in a pattern or practice of employing unauthorized aliens, and money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to the federal complaint, Moises and Raquel operated Orduna Plumbing, Inc., a national company based in Michigan with operations in New York, North Carolina, Michigan and Ohio.
The feds say that between January 2022 and December 2024, the couple employed around 253 people, of which only six were legally present and allowed to work in the U.S.
According to the complaint, the defendants collected the passports of the workers and housed them in overcrowded houses and hotel rooms.
Between Jan. 1, 2022 and Aug. 7, 2025, feds say the plumbing company generated around $74 million in customer revenue.
During the investigations, feds found messages between Moises and some of the workers where they discussed payroll, care of company vehicles, use of company credit cards, concerns about being undocumented and switching houses to be less visible to law enforcement.
According to the feds, a review of the Orduna Plumbing revealed the company paid hundreds of undocumented workers through multiple bank accounts used and controlled by Moises and Raquel.
The two made an appearance in federal court in Detroit on Tuesday and were released on conditions. They are expected to appear in the Western District of New York federal court in December.
