Frederick Sayre Anderson, a 65-year-old resident of Parkersburg, West Virginia, has been sentenced to three years of federal probation and ordered to pay $75,000 in restitution. The sentence comes after Anderson admitted to concealing, harboring, and shielding an alien from detection.
Court documents reveal that from January 2011 until May 7, 2021, a foreign national from Madagascar worked and lived at Anderson's business in Parkersburg. Anderson acknowledged that the foreign national entered the United States on a K-1 nonimmigrant visa meant for fiancées. He admitted he never married her within the required 90 days, leading to her unlawful presence in the country after her visa expired on April 8, 2011.
Anderson also confessed that the foreign national was not compensated for her work at his laboratory, which provides water quality testing kits nationwide. She lived in an office converted into a bedroom without shower facilities and had to rely on Anderson’s business partner, John Robert Coe, for access to basic amenities.
The foreign national depleted her savings while working without income. Anderson encouraged her to acquire credit cards under false pretenses and used them for business expenses and personal travel.
To prevent government detection of the foreign national's status, Anderson took various measures including instructing her to hide during immigration agents' visits in May 2021. He misled agents about her whereabouts during these visits.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston commented on the case: “In this strange and saddening case, the defendant harbored an illegal alien for a decade and took advantage of her at every opportunity.” She emphasized the importance of enforcing immigration laws for public safety and national security.
John Robert Coe pleaded guilty earlier this year to employing a known illegal alien and is set for sentencing on August 7, 2025. As part of his plea agreement, Coe has paid $54,740 in restitution.
The investigation involved efforts by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), West Virginia State Police, and Parkersburg Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage with sentencing imposed by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.
Additional information related to this case can be accessed through PACER under Case No. 2:23-cr-187.
