Man sought by U.S. held

Wanted for harbouring illegals in Atlanta area

By SAM PAZZANO, Courts Bureau

Last Updated: February 4, 2011 6:03pm

A Chinese national who smuggled himself into Canada from the U.S. to avoid prosecution for employing illegal Hispanic aliens in Atlanta was denied bail Friday.

Xian Chen, 43, remains in custody as he is being sought for extradition to the U.S. where he faces charges of conspiracy to harbour illegal aliens and transporting illegal aliens in 2009 and 2010.

Court documents revealed Chen’s employment agency in an Atlanta suburb hired out Hispanic workers to toil in restaurants, working 72 hours and six days a week for $1,200 a month while his Zhong Mei Employment agency earned a $250 referral fee.

His agency offered work to illegal immigrants, some of them Mexicans “with no need for documentation, transportation or knowledge of English.â€