Local restaurant owners plead guilty to harboring undocumented workers
Action News Jax first reported on May 17, 2022, about the managers of a well-known restaurant in St. Johns County accused of hiring and harboring undocumented immigrants.
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In an announcement made by United States attorney Roger B. Handberg, Yanshen Huang (36 of St, Johns) and Ge Tang (41 of St. Augustine) pleaded guilty to harboring undocumented aliens for commercial advantage and private financial gain.
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Huang and Tang now face a maximum of 10 years in federal prison. As part of the plea agreement, both restaurant owners agreed to hand over a residence in St. Augustine and one in St. Johns to the U.S. government. Both places were used to house the undocumented aliens.
Also, part of the forfeiture was a 2021 Toyota Sienna van and $35,720 in cash. The van was used to transport the aliens to and from the residences to work.
Huang and Tang owned and operated Tanks Sushi Bistro Seafood & Steak in St. Augustine and Tanks Sushi Bistro in Ponte Vedra. According to their plea agreements, they employed aliens who were illegally in the U.S. and not authorized to work.
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“Tang and Huang paid the workers in cash, did not withhold taxes and other payments from the workers’ wages, and did not pay the employer’s portion of these taxes to government authorities,” read the Department of Justice statement.
Their sentencing hearings have been scheduled for Jan. 24, 2023.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mai Tran is handling forfeiture of the residence, van and the cash.
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