Texas bakery owners get prison time for harboring undocumented workers

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Abby's Bakery in Los Fresnos, Texas

LOS FRESNOS, Texas - The owners of a South Texas bakery were sentenced Wednesday to four months in prison for harboring and conspiring to employ undocumented workers who were kept in cramped, unsafe living conditions.

Leonardo Baez-Lara, 56, and Alicia Avila-Guel, 46, owners of Abby’s Bakery in Los Fresnos, were also ordered by U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. to serve two years of supervised release and pay a fine of $21,300 each.

Texas bakery owners sentenced

What we know:

The sentencing follows a three-day trial in August 2025, where a jury found the couple guilty of harboring at least six individuals. Prosecutors said the workers were housed in a small, converted insurance office near the bakery that served as a storage area.

The living quarters were described as having only one exit, no fire extinguishers, and exposed wiring. Workers slept on mattresses on the floor and testified they often went months without hot water. One head baker reportedly lived in the storage area for more than two years.

What they're saying:

"Today’s sentences serve as a warning to any business owner who believes they can distort fair competition by utilizing a workforce of illegal aliens," said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. "It’s not worth running afoul of the law just to make a quick buck."

Dig deeper:

Baez-Lara and Avila-Guel, who are legal permanent residents, have operated Abby’s Bakery and Dulce’s Café since 2012. Because of the felony convictions, both now face the possibility of losing their legal status to remain in the United States.

During the trial, testimony revealed that the owners paid employees in cash and lacked proper paperwork. One worker testified that he was hired immediately after entering the country illegally, while another said Baez-Lara helped coordinate his return to the bakery after he had been deported during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Defense attorneys argued the couple was merely providing shelter and that their actions did not constitute harboring, an argument the jury rejected after three hours of deliberation.

"The couple’s deliberate disregard for the law and the safety of their workers cannot go unpunished," said John A. Pasciucco, acting special agent in charge of HSI San Antonio.