JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – The owners of the Kamiya 86 restaurants in Ponte Vedra Beach and Jacksonville Beach have been charged with harboring undocumented workers for commercial advantage and private financial gain, according to the Department of Justice.
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Officials said the owners employed workers who were illegally living and working in the United States.
Investigators said the owners didn’t require the workers to provide documents to establish that they could legally work in the U.S., contrary to federal law.
Officials said the owners provided free food, rent-free housing, and free transportation between the houses and the restaurants.
Eyewitnesses at both locations said they saw white vans normally at the restaurants being towed away by federal agents during the raids on Aug. 14.
The complaint said they paid the workers in cash and didn’t withhold taxes and other payments from their wages.
The owners face a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison.