John Robert Coe, a 66-year-old retired employee of the Wood County Board of Education from Parkersburg, has pleaded guilty to employing an illegal alien. The plea was entered in Charleston, West Virginia.
Court documents reveal that from early 2011 until May 12, 2021, a foreign national from Madagascar worked without pay at a business co-owned by Coe and Frederick Sayre Anderson. Coe admitted he became aware of the foreign national's unlawful status in the United States sometime in 2011 but continued to employ her until May 2021.
The foreign national lived at the business premises, which lacked shower facilities. Coe allowed her to bathe at his home occasionally. The business specializes in providing water quality testing kits to various government entities across the country. During her time there, the foreign national managed tasks such as shipping supplies, handling customer service calls, and managing accounts receivable.
In addition to her work at the laboratory, Coe had her perform side jobs like cleaning his residence and editing manuscripts for history books he was writing. He paid her in cash for these additional tasks.
On May 7, 2021, Coe learned 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 federal authorities assisted her departure on May 12, 2021.
Coe is set to be sentenced on May 5, 2025. He faces up to six months in prison and three years of supervised release along with a $3,000 fine. Additionally, he has agreed to pay $54,740 in restitution.
Frederick Sayre Anderson also pleaded guilty on January 4, 2024, for related charges and is awaiting sentencing.
The case announcement was made by United States Attorney Will Thompson who praised the investigative efforts of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), West Virginia State Police, and Parkersburg Police Department. The hearing was overseen by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston with Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuting.
For more information or related court documents regarding this case (Case No. 2:24-cr-178), individuals can visit PACER or access details through the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia.