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Federal investigators raided the Kamiya restaurant last week. | News4JaxFederal investigators raided the Kamiya restaurant last week. | News4Jax
Federal investigators raided the Kamiya restaurant last week. | News4Jax

Restaurant owners charged after immigration raids

By Dan Scanlan
Published on August 20, 2024 at 1:53 pm
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Two restaurant owners have been charged with harboring undocumented workers after federal raids at Kamiya 86 spots in Ponte Vedra and Jacksonville Beach.

Hua Yao Ke and Ping Ping Zheng, both of Jacksonville, each face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

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Federal complaints say Ke owned the Kamiya 86 in Ponte Vedra, while Zheng was responsible for the Jacksonville Beach site. Both employed workers who were unlawfully living in the United States and not legally authorized to work here.

Ke and Zheng also are accused of providing rent-free housing to the undocumented workers, plus free food and transportation to the restaurants. Prosecutors say they paid the workers in cash and did not withhold taxes from the workers’ wages.

author image Reporter email Dan Scanlan is a veteran journalist with 40 years as a radio, television and print reporter in the Jacksonville area, as well as years of broadcast work in the Northeast. After a stint managing a hotel comedy club, Dan began a 34-year career as police and current events reporter at The Florida Times-Union before joining the staff of WJCT News 89.9.

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