Restaurant Owner Who Led Undocumented Worker Ring Sentenced to 15 Months

The ringleader of a group of Asian restaurants in the State College area employing undocumented workers was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine.

Jing Mei Jiang, who had plead guilty to conspiracy to employ undocumented workers and wire fraud. was sentenced Friday by U.S. Middle District Judge along with three others, according to PennLive.com.

Jiang, owner of Fuji and Jade Garden, handled the finances for a group of local restaurant owners that used an employment agency based out of New York City to draw Asian and Hispanic workers to central Pennsylvania. A New York accounting firm provided false unemployment compensation documents.

A June 2014 raid by the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement office found 18 illegal aliens were working at China Dragon, Fuji and Jade Garden, 100 Degree Hot Pot, My Thai Restaurant, Chen’s Buffet and Penang Asian Fusion.

Xin Xing Jiang, Jiang’s son and owner of My Thai; Yan Jin Yang, owner of Hundred Degrees Hot Pot; and Yu Mei Chen were also sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to harboring charges. They each received two years probation, a $500 fine and forfeiture of assets, according to PennLive.

Jian Bin Chen and  Xue Jiang (owners of Chen’s Buffet), Yong Cheng Chen (owner of China Dragon) and Hua Zhen Dong (owner of Penang Asian Fusion) were previously sentenced to two years probation and a $500 fine.

Brann said the six restaurants involved had grossed $16 million in the past six years.