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Novi Restaurant Owner, Wife Charged With Harboring Undocumented Immigrants

NOVI (WWJ) - A Novi restaurant owner and his wife have been charged with harboring undocumented immigrants after five Mexican nationals died in a fire at their Oakland County home.

United States Attorney Barbara McQuade announced Friday that if 55-year-old Roger Tam and his 48-year-old wife, Ada Lei are found guilty, they face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

An investigation was launched last month after law enforcement officers executed federal and state search warrants at the couple's home in Novi, where five Mexican nationals -- who ranged in age from 16 to 23 -- died as a result of a Jan. 31 fire. Department of Homeland Security databases revealed that all five men were illegally in the U.S. and had entered the country in the last six months.

Tam and Lei were arrested Thursday. Tam is currently in police custody. Authorities say Lei is currently hospitalized and her surrender is still being negotiated.

Click here to read the criminal complaint (.pdf format)

The criminal complaint alleges that Tam hired five the men to work at Kim's Garden in Novi. The Mexican nationals were provided housing in the Novi home owned by Tam and Lei, and were transported to and from the restaurant, as a condition of their employment. The criminal complaint further alleges Tam told a Novi detective at the scene of the fire that the deceased individuals were employees at Kim's Garden whom he paid in cash and allowed to reside in the home's basement, where smoke detectors had been disabled.

"What warranted this investigation was senseless on so many counts; from the tragic loss of five lives to the skirting of our nation's immigration system," Novi Police Chief David Molloy said in a statement. "In all my years of law enforcement, I have never witnessed such blatant disregard for respect of human life. As the health, safety and welfare of Novi residents and businesses is our main concern, activities such as this will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the full extent the law."

According to the complaint, employment and financial records for Kim's Garden revealed no indication that the five individuals were legally employed at the restaurant.

"This case is a sobering reminder of the dangers employers create when they harbor undocumented immigrants," McQuade said. "In order to obtain a competitive advantage by paying lower wages and evading taxes, some employers will subject undocumented workers to poor living conditions and even dangerous situations."

 

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