Federal Acting Prosecutor Sara Swinney announced that Ping Ping Zheng, owner of a Chinese restaurant in Florida, has admitted to harboring undocumented foreigners for commercial and personal economic gain. The 37-year-old Zheng could face up to 10 years of federal imprisonment. As part of the plea agreement, Zheng agreed to surrender a residence and a transport vehicle located in Jacksonville, Florida to the U.S. government. The sentencing date is yet to be determined.
According to the plea agreement, Zheng owned and operated Kamiya 86 Asian Bistro and Sushi Bar in Jacksonville Beach. At this restaurant, she employed workers who were residing illegally in the U.S. and did not have proper work permits. Contrary to federal law, Zheng did not request documentation from the workers to prove their eligibility to work legally in the U.S.
Zheng also owned a residence where she provided free housing for these undocumented immigrants and offered them free transportation between the residence and the restaurant, as well as free meals during work hours. She paid the workers in cash and did not withhold taxes or other deductions from their wages.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Border Patrol with the assistance of the Jacksonville Beach Police Department.