Alexandria Couple Indicted for Harboring Aliens

COVINGTON, Ky. - An Alexandria, Ky., couple was indicted on Thursday, on four counts of harboring aliens and one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens.

A federal grand jury sitting in Covington returned the indictment charging Yun Zheng, a.k.a. Wendy, 50, and Yan Qui Wu, a.k.a. Jason, 48, with four counts of concealing, harboring, or shielding a person for commercial and private financial gain, and one count of conspiracy to conceal, harbor, or shield persons for commercial and private financial gain.

The indictment alleges that, beginning in November 2014 and continuing through November 2017, Zheng and Wu illegally harbored four individuals for their commercial and private financial gain.         

Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jerry Templet, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations; and Lucas T. Cooper, Chief of the Alexandria Police Department, jointly announced the indictment.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security- HIS and the Alexandria, Kentucky Police Department.  The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Winslow and David Marye. 

A date for Zheng and Wu to appear in court has not yet been scheduled.  For each of the five counts, they face up to ten years in prison, up to $250,000 fine, and restitution.  However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court, after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes. 

Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.                                                 

— END —