Man charged with harboring illegal Chinese immigrants in McKees Rocks
By Jason Cato
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, January 11, 2008


Federal authorities today charged a Chinese national who owns a thriving McKees Rock-based Chinese food supply business with harboring illegal aliens.
Bao Ping Zheng, 39, of Ohio Township has been in federal custody on immigration violations since September, said his attorney, Martin Dietz. The U.S. Attorney's Office this afternoon filed a criminal complaint against Zheng, marking the first public notice of his legal troubles.

Prosecutors accused Zheng of knowingly hiring illegal Chinese workers from a New York employment agency to work at his New Chinatown/NBT Trucking on Island Avenue. A two-year federal investigation revealed that Zheng, himself an illegal immigrant, hired at least six such employees and paid them cash without reporting their income.

"His actions were born out of necessity rather than a desire to fill our country with illegal aliens," Dietz said. "It's a legitimate, thriving business. It really is."

Zheng told investigators that he hired the illegal workers because he couldn't find enough legal workers to satisfy the needs of his business, according to a five-page sworn statement from an agent with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
The illegal employees lived in two McKees Rocks houses purchased by Zheng, as well as inside a warehouse on New Chinatown's Island Avenue property. Federal agents said they interviewed one illegal worker who said he shared a room in the warehouse with three other workers.

Zheng entered the United States illegally in 1993, flying into John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City, Dietz said. Zheng is divorced and has twin 15-year-old daughters.

In addition to the food trucking business, Zheng also owns New Chinatown LLC, New Chinatown Realty and New Chinatown Trading, according to the affidavit.



Jason Cato can be reached at jcato@tribweb.com or 412-320-7840.


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