Coggins Farms
Tracking # |
2017-ICFO-32524 |
Submitted | June 1, 2017 |
Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: George Klees
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:
Any and all records (including, but not limited to, investigations and enforcement actions) relating to Coggins Farms and Produce (also known as Coggins Farm or Coggins Farms) of Lake Park, Georgia. The company, a produce farm, was initially owned and operated by the Coggins family of South Georgia, including Kevin Coggins, Gerald Coggins, and Edwin Coggins. In the early 2000s, an employee named Jim Harnage blew the whistle on various illegal activities at Coggins Farm, such as toxic waste dumping and the smuggling/employment of illegal immigrants. He spoke to many state and federal agencies about his allegations, including the FBI field office in Valdosta, Georgia. Coggins Farm was acquired by Bill Gates in 2014, and merged with Stanley Farms in 2016 to form Generation Farms. Please include a cross-reference search for Coggins Farms and Produce, Coggins Farm Supply, Jim Harnage, and Farm Hands Leasing, Inc.
To help you with your search, here are some links about Coggins Farms:
http://www.tectractortimes.com/tec1202ga.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20161010114652/http://www.insider-magazine.com/Valdosta-Lemme.pdf
https://www.peer.org/assets/docs/fl/05_19_10_ga_whitepaper.pdf
http://producenews.com/news-dep-menu/test-featured/14392-bill-gates-linked-to-farmland-purchases-in-north-florida-may-be-looking-elsewhere-in-the-southeast
http://www.theproducenews.com/news-dep-menu/test-featured/18201-coggins-farms-and-stanley-farms-join-to-form-generation-farms
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
George Klees
From: US DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement FOIA Office
June 14, 2017 George Klees MuckRock DEPT MR 38311 411A Highland Ave Somerville, MA 02144-2516 RE: ICE FOIA Case Number 2017-ICFO-32524 Dear Mr. Klees: This acknowledges receipt of your June 01, 2017, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), for any and all records (including, but not limited to, investigations and enforcement actions) relating to Coggins Farms and Produce (also known as Coggins Farm or Coggins Farms) of Lake Park, Georgia. The company, a produce farm, was initially owned and operated by the Coggins family of South Georgia, including Kevin Coggins, Gerald Coggins, and Edwin Coggins. Your request was received in this office on June 01, 2017. Please be advised that DHS regulations require, in the case of third party information requests, a statement from the individual verifying his or her identity and certifying that individual's agreement that records concerning him or her may be accessed, analyzed and released to a third party. See 6 C.F.R. § 5.21(f). Because you have not provided this documentation with your request, we are unable to initiate a search for responsive records. Please provide the requested documentation within 10 days from the date of this letter, or we will assume you are no longer interested in this FOIA/PA request, and the case will be administratively closed. This is not a denial of your request. Upon receipt of a perfected request, you will be advised as to the status of your request. Your request has been assigned reference number 2017-ICFO-32524. Please refer to this identifier in any future correspondence. To check the status of an ICE FOIA/PA request, please visit . Please note that to check the status of a request, you must enter the 2017-ICFO-XXXXX tracking number. If you need any further assistance or would like to discuss any aspect of your request, please contact the FOIA office. You may send an e-mail to ice-foia@ice.dhs.gov, call toll free (866) 633-1182, or you may contact our FOIA Public Liaison in the same manner. Additionally, you have a right to right to seek dispute resolution services from the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) which mediates disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal agencies as a non-exclusive alternative to litigation. If you are requesting access to your own records (which is considered a Privacy Act request), you should know that OGIS does not have the authority to handle requests made under the Privacy Act of 1974. You may contact OGIS as follows: Office of Government Information Services, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001, e-mail at ogis@nara.gov; telephone at 202-741-5770; toll free at 1-877-684-6448; or facsimile at 202-741-5769. (http://www.dhs.gov/foia-status) http://www.dhs.gov/foia-status
Regards,
ICE FOIA Office
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Freedom of Information Act Office
500 12th Street, S.W., Stop 5009
Washington, D.C. 20536-5009
Telephone: 1-866-633-1182
Visit our FOIA website at
www.ice.gov/foia
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