El Cajon, California – The general manager of a San Diego-area industrial coatings company pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal immigration-related charges, concluding a months-long investigation that began with a high-profile federal raid in March.
John Washburn, 57, who served as the general manager of San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings, admitted to knowingly employing undocumented workers at the company’s El Cajon warehouse. He was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to complete 50 hours of community service.
The plea follows a federal investigation into hiring practices at the company, which provides industrial paint and protective coatings for commercial, military, and government vessels. In March, federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted a raid on the business’s Magnolia Avenue facility, detaining multiple individuals and drawing public scrutiny over the company’s labor practices…