JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A married couple who owned two Jacksonville restaurants and a third in Palm Coast pleaded guilty to employing undocumented workers at their restaurants.
Ji Lin Qui, 44, and 37-year-old Gui Zhen Yang, of Palm Coast, owned and operated the Red Bowl restaurant on Bartram Park Boulevard in Jacksonville, the Red Bowl Poké & Hibachi restaurant on Crosshill Boulevard in Jacksonville and the Fancy Sushi & Grill restaurant on East Highway 100 in Palm Coast. According to court documents, Qiu and Yang employed aliens who were in the United States illegally and not authorized to work in the U.S. The couple did not require the workers to provide documents to establish that they could legally work in the U.S., court documents show, which is against federal law.
The pair also owned or rented three homes, each near one of the restaurants, where they provided rent-free housing to the undocumented workers. They also provided the workers with transportation between the houses and the restaurants, according to court documents.
The workers were paid in cash and did not have taxes withheld. Qiu and Yang also did not pay the employer's portion of taxes to government authorities and did not report the workers to state revenue authorities as required under Florida law to ensure the collection of the proper amount of unemployed compensation tax, court documents show.
Qiu pleaded guilty to harboring undocumented aliens for commercial advantage and private financial gain. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. He also agreed to forfeit a home in Palm Coast, a 2013 Toyota Sienna van, a 2019 Honda Odyssey van and a 2020 Honda Odyssey van.
Yang pleaded guilty to establishing a commercial enterprise for the purpose of evading U.S. Immigration laws. She faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Qiu and Yang were indicted Sept. 14, 2020. A sentencing date has not been set.
