AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885

MARCH 2, 2006

BALTIMORE RESTAURANT OPERATORS ARRESTED CHARGED WITH HARBORING ILLEGAL ALIENS

BALTIMORE, Maryland - United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein announces that today Tzu Ming Yang, age 48, his wife, Jui Fan Lee Yang, age 49, and Jack Chang, age 41, all of Clarksville, Maryland were arrested, charged by criminal complaint with crimes committed in connection with knowingly employing and harboring illegal aliens of Indonesian nationality in residences and businesses they owned and rented, and money laundering.

The defendants are charged with knowingly employing aliens not authorized to work in the United States; harboring aliens who have entered or remained in the United States illegally; harboring aliens for financial gain; and money laundering involving the proceeds of unlawful activities in connection with the employment of illegal aliens at restaurants operated by the defendants.

According to the criminal complaints, Tzu and Jui Yang operated: Kawasaki Restaurant located at 413 North Charles Street, Baltimore; Kawasaki at Johns Hopkins Hospital located at 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore; and together with Chang, the Kawasaki Café located at 907 South Ann Street, Baltimore. Tzu Yang and Chang formed TJJ Properties, LLC which owned property located at 514 South Chapel Street, Baltimore.

From January 1997 to February, 2006, the defendants are alleged to have housed and employed illegal aliens and undocumented workers of Indonesian nationality at the residences and businesses they owned and rented.

Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the money laundering charge, ten years in prison for harboring aliens and 6 months in prison for employing illegal aliens. All three defendants are scheduled for an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner.

A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Levin, who is prosecuting the case.