Pair staffed local Chinese buffets with undocumented workers

By Cassie Smith
Updated 10:49 am, Wednesday, June 4, 2014


  • The King Buffet was one of two Port Arthur Chinese restaurants listed in the Homeland Security's indictment for allegedly employing illegal aliens. Photo taken Thursday, January 30, 2014 Guiseppe Barranco/@spotnewsshooter Photo: Guiseppe Barranco, Photo Editor


A Houston man and woman pleaded guilty on Tuesday to racketeering violations in connection with a federal raid at two Port Arthur buffets this past January.

Lina Sun, 54, and Chenglun Ma, 57, admitted their guilt in an employment referral conspiracy that recruited unauthorized workers - mostly from Mexico and Central America - for work in the Chinese restaurant industry, according to court documents.

The employees put in 12-hour days, six days a week and were not paid overtime, reports state. The employees were also not permitted to receive tips or gratuities and were paid in cash, reports state.

The restaurants profited by avoiding payment of employment taxes, documents state. The companies also did not provide benefits including health insurance, vacation or sick time. These workers were paid less than minimum wage, did not receive health examinations, food safety training, or job training at any time while employed, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Thirty-two people were charged in the conspiracy.

Sun and Ma each face up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing.

Sentencing dates have not been set.Three people who worked at Chinese restaurants in the Port Arthur were also arrested in the January raid. Charged with racketeering, conspiracy and violating immigration policy were: Jin Zhu Wang, 50; Li Qui Jiang, 52; and Hua Zhu Dong, 45, all of Port Arthur. They are accused of staffing the King Buffet and Grand Buffet in Port Arthur with undocumented workers.

This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Air and Marine; U.S. Marshals Service; and Police Department's in Houston, Port Author and Beaumont.

CSmith@BeaumontEnterprise.com

http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/ne...th-5528041.php