NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – A local restaurant and its owner have been dealt a severe blow in a shocking case of harboring and employing illegal aliens.
Thai Thai, LLC d/b/a Sticky Rice Thai Cuisine, and its owner, Somphon Chiwabandit, 47, a native of Thailand, were sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to harboring and unlawfully employing illegal aliens, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324(a)(1)(A)(iii) and Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324a(a)(1)(A).
United States District Court Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced Thai Thai, LLC d/b/a Sticky Rice Thai Cuisine to a 1 year term of probation, a $400 special assessment fee and also ordered the forfeiture of $24,640. Chiwabandit was sentenced to time served (4 months) and a $100 special assessment fee. Chiwabandit will be surrendered to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings.
According to court records, Special Agents of Homeland Security Investigations conducted surveillance on the restaurant as well as on a home owned, and an apartment rented by Chiwabandit. The defendant admitted in court that he provided housing, transportation, and employment to two illegal aliens. The defendant also acknowledged that he had been in the United States illegally for the past seven years, by overstaying a business visitor visa.
Chiwabandit also admitted to failing to list the illegal aliens on a Form I-9, which is used to verify employment eligibility for a business’s employees. By law, employers are required to maintain Form I-9s for all employees.
U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Covington Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of harboring and employing illegal aliens. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who break the law are held accountable.
Thai Thai, LLC d/b/a Sticky Rice Thai Cuisine will also face financial penalties for their role in the offense.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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