The co-owners of Asian restaurants in Ponte Vedra Beach and Jacksonville Beach are facing years in prison after pleading guilty to using undocumented workers.
Hua Yao Ke and Ping Ping Zheng, who operate the Kamiya 86 locations, have both pleaded guilty to federal charges of harboring illegal immigrants for commercial gain.
The restaurateurs failed to require documentation from their staffers showing that they were legally present in the Unites States in violation of federal law, officials said.
Both locations were raided by agents last August.
The restaurants — which feature Chinese, Thai and Japanese cuisine — remain open despite their owners’ legal troubles.
Ke and Zheng, prosecutors said, owned a property where they housed the workers.
They also provided them with free food and transport to and from the restaurants in exchange for their labor.
2 Responses
Classic human trafficking. Probably held their passports also.
We will no longer support these restaurants. Our community needs to demand better.