Press Release
U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
District of Hawaii
PJKK Federal Building (808) 541-2850
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 6-100 FAX (808) 541-2958
Honolulu, Hawaii 96850
For Immediate Release
April 28, 2008
P R E S S R E L E A S E
Ed Kubo, United States Attorney for Hawaii, announced today that Tenryoan, Inc., a vendor serving prepared food at Shirokiya Department Store at Ala Moana Shopping Center, pled guilty to hiring and employing aliens not authorized to work in the United States.
Under Federal Law, all employers are required to ensure that their employees are eligible to work in the United States. In most instances, aliens entering the United States as students or visitors are not eligible for employment unless they obtain specific permission to work. On the other hand, aliens who are permanent residents ("green card" holders) are allowed such employment.
According to court documents and information presented in court, Tenryoan intentionally and knowingly hired aliens who were not eligible to work in the United States, and paid them from a separate business operating account instead of their business payroll account like their lawful employees. Tenryoan also did not provide traditional benefits such as sick leave, medical insurance, vacation leave, and retirement benefits to their unlawful employees. Tenryoan also failed to notify the Internal Revenue Service about the wages that they paid their unlawful employees.
The criminal investigation resulted from an administrative work site enforcement audit and a subsequent criminal investigation conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Shirokiya Department Store at Ala Moana.
Magistrate Judge Barry M. Kurren fined Tenryoan the maximum monetary fine of $9000.
Anyone having information about immigration fraud is encouraged to call the Department of Homeland Security's toll free Fraud Hotline at: 866-347-2423. All calls will be kept strictly confidential.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Hino.
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