John Robert Coe, a 66-year-old resident of Parkersburg, has paid $54,740 in restitution and a $500 fine after admitting to continuing to employ a known illegal alien at his business. The payment follows Coe’s guilty plea on January 22, 2025.
Court documents reveal that from early 2011 until May 12, 2021, a foreign national from Madagascar worked without monetary compensation at the laboratory co-owned by Coe and Frederick Sayre Anderson. The laboratory provides water quality testing kits to state and local governments across the United States. Coe admitted that he became aware of the foreign national’s unlawful status in 2011 but allowed her to continue working at the business for nearly a decade.
The foreign national also lived at the business, sleeping in an office converted into a bedroom. Her duties included shipping supplies to customers, handling customer service calls, and managing accounts receivable. In addition to her work at the laboratory, Coe acknowledged having her perform side jobs such as cleaning his residence and editing manuscripts for history books he was preparing for publication. He compensated her in cash for these tasks.
On May 7, 2021, Coe learned from Anderson that federal immigration agents were searching for the foreign national at their business location. Anderson suggested moving her into Coe’s residence; however, they ultimately decided she should remain at the business until May 12, when she left with federal authorities’ assistance.
Frederick Sayre Anderson pleaded guilty on January 4, 2024, to concealing, harboring, and shielding an alien from detection. Anderson admitted obtaining a K-1 nonimmigrant visa for the foreign national and failing to marry her within the required period. He knew her presence became unlawful after April 8, 2011. On May 13, 2025, Anderson was sentenced to three years of federal probation and ordered to pay $75,000 in restitution.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced the case outcome and recognized investigative efforts by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), West Virginia State Police, and Parkersburg Police Department.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed Coe’s sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
Additional information about this case can be found on PACER by searching Case No. 2:24-cr-178 (https://pacer.uscourts.gov/).
