San Francisco – Yaowapha Ritdet, the owner of Ukiah’s Ruen Tong Thai Cuisine and Walter Café, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the internal revenue laws and harboring illegal aliens for profit.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ryan Spradlin, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf.
Ritdet, 56, admitted hiring Thai nationals present in the United States illegally to work at her restaurants, paying them under minimum wage and instructing them not to speak about their immigration status. She also paid cash wages without paying employment taxes and filed false tax returns for 2007 through 2011.
Charged in August 2016 with corrupt endeavor to impede IRS administration and harboring illegal aliens for profit, Ritdet pleaded guilty on August 17, 2016.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Edward M. Chen ordered Ritdet to pay $496,987 to the IRS and $70,768.65 to underpaid employees, plus three years of supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney José A. Olivera and Trial Attorney Charles O’Reilly prosecuted the case, with thanks to the IRS-Criminal Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division for their roles.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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