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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, WJCT News 89.9 email Dan Scanlan is a veteran journalist with almost 40 years of experience in radio, television, and print reporting. He has worked at various stations in the Northeast and Jacksonville. Prior to joining the WJCT News team, Dan spent 34 years at The Florida Times-Union as a police and current affairs reporter.

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