Fuyao plant, nearly 30 other area locations raided in massive Homeland Security investigation

MORAINE — Nearly 30 locations in the southern part of Montgomery County were hit as part of a Homeland Security raid on Friday.

HSI, in collaboration with IRS Criminal Investigation and other law enforcement agencies, executed federal search warrants at Fuyao Glass America and 27 other locations in Dayton, Liberty Township, Miamisburg, Moraine, and West Carrollton on Friday.

>> PHOTOS: Homeland Security part of Fuyao investigation in Moraine

The search warrants are part of an “ongoing criminal investigation” looking into allegations of financial crimes and labor exploitation. On Friday afternoon, Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey said they were also investigating allegations of money laundering and possible human smuggling.

News Center 7 arrived at Fuyao shortly before 11 a.m. and reported seeing two huge mobile command posts, dozens of agents vehicles in the parking lots, and state troopers blocking the entrances.

“Someone called me and said they are actually raiding Fuyao and I said ‘I don’t believe that, let me see that,’” Monica Fitzpatrick, a former Fuyao employee, said.

Fitzpatrick told News Center 7 that she’s not surprised by the raids.

“I told them, ‘It’s not fair here, you don’t follow the rules. You don’t treat people correctly and this will never last.’ That’s why they have such a high turnover rate,” she said.

News Center 7 crews also reported seeing members of the U.S. Border Patrol at some locations, in addition to HSI investigators. As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, our team was on the scene at several locations, including Xenia Avenue in Dayton, Wyoming Street in Dayton, and Loris Drive in Miami Twp.

Our crews saw agents detain people at several of the homes they searched with zip-ties, including about a dozen people at a home on Irving Avenue in Dayton.

Matt Humerick, of Dayton, told News Center 7 that the home of Irving Avenue charged ownership a couple of years ago. He and his family have seen people they believe were being transported to Fuyao for work shifts at all hours.

“All throughout the day, they will come out, go to work,” Humerick said. “12, 13, 4 hours later [they’d] get dropped back off but all through the day, every hour, hour and a half.”

Homeland Security would not confirm if anyone was taken into custody during today’s raids.

“Law enforcement is working diligently to identify victims, to provide them services, and to gather evidence relevant to the investigation,” Murphey said.

News Center 7 has learned from tips that agents from several agencies may have started looking into Fuyao’s Moraine plant as far back as 2021, but Homeland Security would not confirm that.

News Center 7 has reached out to Fuyao for comment but has not received a response at this time.

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