Three former managers of Bollinger Shipyards, including a member of the Bollinger family, appeared in federal court Friday in New Orleans to enter not guilty pleas to misdemeanor charges of hiring undocumented immigrants.

The charges, filed earlier this month by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, alleges that between 2018 and 2020, Paul Bollinger, Kevin Vizier and Duane Orgeron violated a federal law that prohibits “unlawful employment of illegal aliens” at the Lockport-based shipyard, court records show.

The charges were filed under a bill of information, as opposed to an indictment, which suggests the defendants are negotiating a plea deal with prosecutors and will likely not go to trial.

The charges against the trio carry a potential penalty of six months in prison and $3,00

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