PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The second owner of a sushi restaurant with locations in Ponte Vedra Beach and Jacksonville Beach pleaded guilty this week to harboring undocumented workers for commercial gain, according to the Department of Justice.
The two locations of Kamiya 86 Sushi and Thai restaurant were raided by Homeland Security agents in August 2024.
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One of the owners, Hua Yao Ke, pleaded guilty earlier this month, and the second owner, Ping Ping Zheng, pleaded guilty Wednesday.
Officials said the pair employed workers who were unlawfully present in the U.S.
Ke and Zheng didn’t require the workers to provide documents stating that they could legally work in the U.S., contrary to federal law, investigators said.
Investigators said they provided free food, housing, and transportation between the houses and the restaurants.
Ke is facing up to five years in prison with a sentencing hearing on June 2. Zheng’s sentencing has not yet been set, but the maximum penalty is 10 years in prison.
