News

Supreme Court decision alters Iowa case

A U.S. Supreme Court decision on Monday has had an immediate impact on a case in Iowa. A federal judge has allowed Laura Althouse to withdraw her guilty plea to a charge ofaggravated identity theft after the Supreme Court ruled such a charge could not be made unless the individual knowingly stole someone’s Social Security number. Althouse was a human resources employee at the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, Iowa when the plant was raided by immigration officialslast May.

Althouse still faces sentencing next week on a charge of conspiracy to harbor illegal immigrants for financial gain. Two other employees and Agriprocessors vice president, Sholom Rubashkin also face aggravated identity theft charges.