BEAUMONT, Texas – The grim tale of exploitation in the Chinese restaurant industry took a turn for justice as Lina Sun, 54, and Chenglun Ma, 57, both from Houston, pleaded guilty to racketeering charges. They were accused of orchestrating an employment referral conspiracy that exploited unauthorized aliens, predominantly from Mexico and Central America, in the Eastern District of Texas.
The duo’s modus operandi was deplorable: workers were forced to labor 12 hours a day for six days weekly without overtime pay, tips, or benefits. They received sub-minimum wage and were paid in cash. The restaurants reaped the benefits by dodging employment taxes and offering no health insurance, vacation time, or sick leave.
Workers lived in overcrowded conditions, often on air mattresses or the floor in spaces crammed with as many as 18 people. The court documents also highlighted a lack of health examinations, food safety training, or job training.
The scandalous practices were exposed when federal indictments were returned on November 7, 2013, charging 32 individuals with RICO conspiracy and other immigration-related charges. Sun and Ma face up to 20 years each in federal prison at sentencing, dates yet to be announced.
U.S. Attorney John M. Bales hailed the investigation as a ‘signature accomplishment,’ emphasizing that the defendants’ actions were an affront to both the immigrants seeking work and the nation’s immigration laws. Assistant U.S. Attorneys are now prosecuting the case in Beaumont.
This case, a multi-year investigation by HSI and partners in Texas, has dismantled two employment agencies, Hong Li Job Agency and Tai Shan Employment Agency. The investigative team from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service, and local Houston police departments played pivotal roles.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime|Human Trafficking|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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