SAN DIEGO, California — An El Cajon-based company, San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings, and its hiring manager, Karli Buxton, have pleaded guilty in federal court to hiring undocumented immigrants without authorization to work in the United States. The plea follows a worksite enforcement action conducted on March 27, 2025, at the company's facility.

The company, a government contractor, agreed to forfeit $230,000 gained from the illegal practice. As part of the plea agreement, the company admitted that operations manager John Washburn and others recruited undocumented immigrants. Washburn had pleaded guilty in June. Since 2023, Buxton was responsible for verifying employee eligibility and admitted to accepting fraudulent documents, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The company

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