Grocery Store Manager Convicted of Immigration Document Fraud, Obstruction of Two Federal Labor Investigations, and Conspiracy

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provided pivotal assistance to the case resulting in the conviction of Karla Montoya, 45, of Sacramento. Montoya, the general manager of the Sacramento-area grocery chain Viva Supermarkets, was found guilty for her role in a long-running scheme involving the hiring of undocumented workers, use of false immigration documents, and obstruction of two Department of Labor proceedings. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California made the announcement.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Montoya worked closely with Viva Supermarkets owner and former Sacramento City Councilmember Sean Loloee to hire undocumented aliens throughout the chain's Sacramento-area stores. Montoya knowingly accepted fake Green Cards and Social Security cards during the hiring process for many employees, including her own false immigration documents. She also helped facilitate a system of off-the-books payments and irregular pay practices, including depriving workers of overtime pay.

Montoya joined Loloee in obstructing two Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigations, including hiding employees likely to provide unfavorable information and interfering with investigators on site. As a result, the earlier investigation significantly understated the true amount of back wages owed to workers.

On April 23, 2026, Shahriar "Sean" Loloee, 55, of Granite Bay, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct a Department of Labor investigation, one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS, three counts of filing false tax returns, one count of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering. On Aug. 18, 2026, co-defendants Mirwais Shams and Ahmad Shams pleaded guilty to filing false tax returns. Sentencing for the three has been set for Nov. 19, 2026.

Montoya is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Jan. 7, 2027. Montoya faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the count of conspiracy, up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of possession of false immigration documents and possession, acceptance and receipt of false immigration documents, and five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for obstruction of agency proceeding. The actual sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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