Rui Ping Lin, and his company, Red Samurai Sushi, Inc., of Madison, Mississippi, pled guilty today before Senior U.S. District Court Judge David M. Bramlette III to harboring illegal aliens at the Red Samurai restaurant, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge Gilbert Trill and U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Rafiq Ahmad. As part of its guilty plea, Red Samurai agreed to two years’ probation and an immigration compliance program, in addition to forfeiture and a $100,000 fine.
The Defendants will be sentenced by Judge Bramlette on October 27, 2020, at 10:00 a.m.
From March 2014 through February 2017, Rui Ping Lin was the owner of a restaurant in Madison named Red Samurai Sushi, Inc. During this time, the Defendant hired and employed illegal aliens, whose initials were “A.D.S.,” “D.G.P.,” “J.C.P.,” “J.S.L.,” knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that these illegal aliens had come to, entered and remained in the United States in violation of the law.
On February 22, 2017, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Red Samurai and encountered these illegal aliens. The investigation revealed that none of these illegal aliens had been required to complete any paperwork or show any documents or identification when they were hired as employees, nor had they been asked about their immigration status. The investigation further revealed that Defendant managed the restaurant, hired these employees without valid documentation, housed many of the illegal alien employees at a home in Madison, made the schedules for these illegal alien employees, and transported these illegal alien employees to and from the restaurant. When interviewed by HSI agents, Defendant admitted to paying these employees in cash. The Defendants also failed to withhold and pay federal income taxes on these illegal aliens, failed to prepare I-9 Forms, and failed to report wages to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security or the Internal Revenue Service.
By not requiring such illegal alien employees to fill out employment applications, not requiring illegal alien employees to submit valid identification, not paying illegal alien employees via check, not withholding taxes from such gross income, allowing illegal alien employees to live in company-provided housing, and transporting illegal alien employees to and from the restaurant, the Defendants harbored these illegal aliens and substantially facilitated their remaining in the U.S. illegally.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Glenda Haynes and Dave Fulcher and United States Attorney Mike Hurst.
