Dozens of locations searched: What we know
Special agents from HSI, IRS Criminal Investigations, the FBI and hundreds of officers from state, county and local law enforcement agencies served search warrants at Fuyao and 27 other locations in the Dayton area.
Homeland Security officials said Friday activities tied to the investigation were going on in Dayton, Liberty Twp., Miamisburg, Moraine, and West Carrollton. Law enforcement vehicles and officials were seen at multiple residences in these areas.
Police wearing Homeland Security and other departments’ gear were seen going in and out of a house in the 1100 block of Irving Avenue in Dayton Friday afternoon. Six men and one woman were observed handcuffed outside the home.
Investigators also responded to homes in the 3700 block of Waterbury Drive in Kettering, 2400 block of Fox Run Road in Miami Twp., 2200 block of East Central Avenue in Miamisburg, and the 1800 block of Hoyle Place in Kettering.
Fuyao says they are not target
Fuyao Glass America said it was told by authorities that a third-party employment company was at the center of the criminal investigation, according to a filing with the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
Investigators have not identified the third-party employment company involved in the probe. BarryStaff, one of the region’s largest staffing firms, released a statement Monday saying it’s not them.
“BarryStaff is not involved in the ongoing investigation and has not placed workers at the company named,” says a statement from BarryStaff President Doug Barry. “Our staff is committed to doing things the right way.”
Reports of improper staffing practices at Fuyao
A resident in Miami Twp. reported as far back as 2022 that around 25 men had moved into the home next to his. He said the men were ferried via 15-passenger vans to work various shifts at the Fuyao plant.
Similar vans were observed being removed from Fuyao property by tow trucks on Friday.
A neighbor of the Waterbury Drive home that was part of Friday’s searches in Kettering also reported seeing “a lot of people” living in that home.
Earlier this month, the Dayton Daily News received a tip raising questions about a staffing company potentially improperly providing workers to Fuyao.
In a recording taken inside the Fuyao plant and posted to Facebook, a Homeland Security agent was seen telling Fuyao workers that the company was not the target of the investigation at this time, and that there was no intention to arrest anyone at the plant Friday.
The agent said law enforcement would need to talk with each worker to determine “what they’ve seen, what’s happening and what they know,” the video showed.
Workers leaving Fuyao on Friday told the Dayton Daily News that they were told to bring all their belongings to the cafeteria and they were allowed to leave one by one.
Local leaders react: What we know
A spokesperson for Congressman Mike Turner said his office has been briefed on the situation but could not release details.
“Congressman Turner’s office was formally notified of the investigation by the Department of Homeland Security. Both the congressman and staff have been briefed about the ongoing investigation. As this is a pending criminal matter, the congressman’s office will not be making a comment at this time.”
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s office said the senator is closely monitoring the situation, but didn’t have details to release.
State Sen. Niraj Antani, R-Miamisburg released a statement on X.
“I’m deeply concerned by today’s federal law enforcement action at Fuyao. Before I was elected, the State of Ohio, through JobsOhio, provided millions of dollars in incentives to Fuyao, understanding that American jobs would be created. I look forward to learning more about today,” he said.
Officials from the city of Moraine, where the Fuyao plant is located, said the city was not involved in what it called a Department of Homeland Security investigation.
“The city of Moraine is not involved in the operation and DHS did not request any operational support,” a city spokesperson said.
Representatives for Fuyao declined to comment on the probe, which Homeland Security Investigations Detroit Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey said includes a focus on money laundering and potential human smuggling.
Chinese-owned Fuyao Global bought part of what had been a closed General Motors plant in Moraine in 2014, reconfiguring it into what the company has said is the world’s largest auto glass production site.
Fuyao Global has said it is the second biggest glass manufacturer in the world and the largest in China.
Anyone with relevant information related to the investigation is encouraged to call 1-877-4-HSI-TIP.
What we don’t know
WHAT CRIMES HAVE BEEN COMMITTED AND WHO COMMITTED THEM: Homeland Security leaders suggested a company was to blame but announced inside the plant that Fuyao was not the target of the investigation at the time. Some tips to the Dayton Daily News say an employment agency is under scrutiny. Several people were detained during the law enforcement raids, but not one was arrested.
HOW HOMES ARE CONNTECTED TO INVESTIGATION: Police raided homes in two counties, Montgomery and Butler, and in several cities. Not all the homes are owned by the same person or company, but several in Liberty Twp. were owned by Chinese residents. Several neighbors said the homes in Montgomery County were being used to house dozens of workers who worked at Fuyao.
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