A federal grand jury has indicted the owner of Japanese steakhouses in Macomb and Oakland counties, accusing him of employing and providing shelter for undocumented immigrants.
The nine-page, 10 count indictment which was unsealed Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, charges Yong Ni, the owner of Kyoto Japanese Steakhouses in Royal Oak and Shelby Township.
Ni is also known as Yung Li, and Ting Kuo Michael Lin, according to the indictment. He has been the subject of an ongoing FBI investigation for the past two years.
Ni made his initial appearance in federal court Thursday where Magistrate Judge David R. Grand set an arraignment for April 30. He was released on $10,000 personal bond, meaning he didn’t have to post any cash up front but would owe the money is he fails to show up for court.
Ni was not at the Royal Oak eatery early Thursday afternoon and could not be immediately reached for comment, a woman answering the phone said. No one at the Shelby Township location answered the phone.
According to court records, Ni employed nine immigrants who were not authorized to work in the United States. He also allegedly housed them in “substandard living conditions” at two houses and transported them to and from 12-hour shifts at the restaurants.
The indictment alleges Ni conspired with others to harbor the immigrants “for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain.”
In addition to the conspiracy and harboring counts, Ni is also charged with illegally employing the immigrants, and fraud and misusing visas and permits.
According to the indictment, on May 1, 2025, Ni allegedly possessed an immigrant visa or other permanent resident card that he knew to be false. Court documents claim he failed to disclose to immigration authorities that he had been previously deported from the United States to the People’s Republic of China under the alias Yung Li in 1996 in New York.
The indictment also states the government intends to file forfeiture proceedings against Ni for seized property including:
Approximately $14,400 in cash
A 2020 Chevrolet Express
2019 Toyota
2021 Honda Odyssey
A residence on Ardmore Avenue in Royal Oak
A residence on Celestial Court in Shelby Township
Case background
In May 2024, FBI agents served a search warrant at the Shelby Township residence owned by Ni. Court filings show of the 12 people who said they lived there, four were in immigration proceedings and six were undocumented.
Authorities said the FBI opened an investigation into Ni’s restaurants in February 2025.
While conducting surveillance on the restaurant, agents saw workers being driven from Ni’s houses to the two restaurants, according to court records. The feds said the workers would get dropped off around 10:30 a.m. and leave around 10:30 p.m.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security in March 2025 asked Ni to provide a list of all his employees, identification documents and I-9 forms. The feds claim they found workers had fraudulently obtained green cards and U.S. Social Security numbers.
Law enforcement then executed another search warrant on May 1 at the houses in Shelby Township and Royal Oak. Twelve undocumented immigrants, all Kyoto Japanese Steakhouse employees, were arrested.
FBI agents noted poor living conditions with “numerous areas constructed into small living areas to accommodate more people than intended for a home of that size with limited furniture,” court records state.
AloJapan.com