Grimy Times has learned that Pisanu Sukhtipyaroge, 72, owner of the Royal Orchid Restaurant in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 42 months in prison for visa fraud and alien harboring.
On October 19, 2015, Sukhtipyaroge assisted in the procurement of an F-1 student visa for A.M., a citizen of the Dominican Republic. Sukhtipyaroge used false statements in preparing the visa application and instructed A.M. on what to say during the visa interview.
Upon arrival in the United States, A.M. lived with Sukhtipyaroge and his family in Maplewood and attended Edison High School until May 2016. Sukhtipyaroge then forced A.M. to work at the Royal Orchid Restaurant without pay, deducting the costs incurred in bringing A.M. to the United States in a debt bondage scheme.
Sukhtipyaroge also engaged in a sexual relationship with A.M. shortly after bringing him to the United States. The defendant has also been charged in Anoka County with one felony count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and one felony count of labor trafficking.
The case was the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, and U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda A. Williams and Laura M. Provinzino prosecuted the case.
Pisanu Sukhtipyaroge, defendant/respondent full name, was convicted of visa fraud, 1 count, and alien harboring, 1 count, in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, on [current year]. He was sentenced to 42 months in prison. The exact date of the crime was July 2015.
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Category: Human Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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