2 plead guilty to contracting farm labor without license

Two men have pleaded guilty to operating as farm labor contractors without state licenses, the Idaho Labor Department said Monday.

Mario Mercado, 38, of Rupert was sentenced by Cassia County Magistrate Rick Bollar to a year's unsupervised probation and $400 in fines. He was cited June 20 in Cassia County for running a field crew without a license.

Ruben Castro-Vasquez, 35, of Aberdeen was ordered by Bingham County Magistrate Scott Hansen to pay $175 in fines and costs by Aug. 30 or face up to 100 days in jail. He was cited on July 13 near Aberdeen.

Charges of violating the Farm Labor Contractor Licensing law are pending against four others.

The maximum penalty is a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail.

The law requires farm labor contractors to pay a $250 licensing fee, obtain a bond to ensure payment of workers, and have proof of workers' compensation coverage for crews and insurance for vehicles used to transport crews. Farmers using unlicensed contractors become liable for unpaid wages and workers' compensation claims.