Wheeling News-Register
MOUNDSVILLE, West Virginia -- Construction equipment has been sitting idle and only a handful of workers have been performing menial tasks at the site of the future Wal-Mart Supercenter since Wednesday.
Major work there has been suspended pending an investigation of hiring and payment practices by at least one subcontractor.
"I've come to learn there's an investigation that we've initiated," said Wal-Mart spokesman John Bisio. "It relates to, from what I understand, two laborers hired by a subcontractor working under our general contractor."
Bisio was referring to two Mexican ironworkers who were jailed earlier this work on sexual assault charges, which were dropped Thursday.
The men, Francisco Aguilar Salvidar, 29, and Martin Ramos Cuevas, 38, are allegedly illegal aliens who were hired by Prime Contracting Inc. - one of the subcontractors working under Cleveland Construction Inc., the general contractor.
Salvidar allegedly told Moundsville police he and Cuevas were in the United States illegally, a statement that the president of Prime Contracting, Tony Morton, denied. Prime Contracting's crew has since moved from the Wal-Mart site.
Posted by Richard at September 16, 2005