TONWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — The U.S. Attorney's Office announced a Tonawanda restaurant owner has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport undocumented workers within the United States illegally for financial gain.
Ping Ye, 35, of Amherst faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Ye is the owner of the Sushi Queen restaurant on Delaware Avenue in Tonawanda.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, on February 5, 2025, North Tonawanda police conducted a traffic stop of a minivan registered to Ye. Wenjie Xu, alleged co-conspirator, was driving the minivan which has five passengers inside. Police say during the traffic stop, Xu called Ye, who spoke with officers, falsely stating that the five passengers were friends of his visiting from New York City for a few days. Ye claimed they did not work for him.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the five passengers had been in Western New York between several months and over a year, during which time they were working at Sushi Queen.
Police say Ye told them the five passengers were staying at his home on Ganson Street. Border Patrol agents, requested by North Tonawanda Police, took Xu and the five passengers into custody. Agents later determined that Xu was a Chinese national who was in the United States illegally. Agents also later determined the five passengers were Guatemalan nationals who were in the United States illegally.
On February 7, 2025, Border Patrol agents conducted surveillance at Ye's home on Ganson Street where they arrested two people, both Guatemalan nationals in the United States illegally.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, on March 25, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at the Sushi Queen restaurant, seizing multiple employee personnel records. No employee personal records were found for the seven Guatemalan nationals in the United States illegally.
