WYOMING COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Wyoming County restaurant owner has pleaded guilty to immigration fraud after admitting she falsified employment eligibility documents for seven workers who were not authorized to work in the United States.
Peggy Jill Hendrick, 58, of Pineville, pleaded guilty Monday to fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents, according to U.S. Attorney Moore Capito.
Court documents show that a law enforcement officer conducted an employment verification inspection at Hendrick’s Pineville restaurant on February 18, 2026. During the inspection, Hendrick falsely claimed she had completed employment eligibility forms, known as Form I-9, for every employee.
After being given three business days to provide the documents, Hendrick prepared forms for seven employees she believed were likely unauthorized to work in the United States. She admitted to deliberately avoiding verification of their employment eligibility before signing and submitting the forms under penalty of perjury.
Federal prosecutors said Hendrick had previously been warned during a 2022 inspection that knowingly employing unauthorized workers could result in criminal and civil penalties.
The restaurant permanently closed in March 2026 after federal authorities executed a search warrant at the business.
As part of her guilty plea, Hendrick agreed to forfeit a house she owned in Pineville where six of the workers lived. She also agreed not to contest a $25,000 forfeiture judgment.
Hendrick is scheduled to be sentenced January 25, 2027. She faces up to five years in federal prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan T. Storage and is part of the Department of Justice’s nationwide Operation Take Back America initiative.
