ROYAL OAK, Mich. (FOX 2) – The owner of Japanese steakhouse Kyoto allegedly kept undocumented workers in small, sparsely furnished homes, and shuttled them to his two restaurants in Royal Oak and Shelby Township.
According to a federal forfeiture complaint, which is used to seize property allegedly used in a crime, Yong Ni has been on the radar of authorities since 2024.
Property laid out in the complaint includes more than $14.000 and several vehicles allegedly used to transport undocumented workers.
The backstory:
In May 2024, authorities found 12 people living in a Shelby Township home owned by Ni. According to court documents, the home was divided into smaller living areas, and was described as “substandard living conditions.”
Of the 12 people found in the home, four were in immigration proceedings, and six were illegally in the United States. The statuses of the other people found in the home were not disclosed.
After this search, authorities warned Ni that some of his employees did not have proper immigration or authorization to work in the country.
Then, in February of this year, the investigation was reopened, and authorities began surveilling Ni. While watching Kyoto in Shelby Township, they allegedly saw multiple workers, including one confirmed to be in the country illegally, being transported to and from the restaurant from nearby homes. These people were dropped off daily around 10:30 a.m. and picked up around 10:30 p.m., according to court records.
Authorities allegedly observed similar behavior in Royal Oak, where workers were allegedly transported from a home in that city to the Royal Oak Kyoto location. According to court documents, five people not authorized to work in the U.S were seen working at the restaurant, and three of them were allegedly living in a home Ni owns.
In March, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) requested a list of all employees at Kyoto in Royal Oak, along with documents showing their eligibility to work in the country. According to documents, employees who were seen living at Ni’s home had allegedly fraudulently obtained Lawful Permanent Resident cards and Social Security numbers.
The arrests:
In early May, authorities searched homes owned by Ni in Shelby Township and Royal Oak. During these searches, 12 undocumented people were arrested. They were determined to be employees of the steakhouses, and were all allegedly living in substandard conditions.
While talking to the people arrested, authorities learned that Ni provided them free housing in exchange for working at his restaurants. He also allegedly arranged for family members or close friends to transport the workers to and from the restaurants.
Crime and Public SafetyRoyal OakShelbyImmigration
AloJapan.com