PRESS RELEASE
July 21, 2008
Covington, Ky. —Chun Ya (“Jerry”) Cheung, 40, of Cincinnati, Ohio was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for harboring illegal aliens by United States District Court Judge David L. Bunning.
On April 3, 2008, following a three day jury trial, Cheung was found guilty of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens for commercial advantage. Cheung is a 50% owner of the Empire Buffet Chinese restaurant in Crescent Springs, Kentucky, where several illegal aliens were employed in late 2007.
Under federal law, Cheung must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence, and, upon release, will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for 3 years.
James A. Zerhusen, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Paul Chambers, Resident Agent in Charge, United States Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), jointly made the announcement today after the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted jointly by ICE and the Villa Hills Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Elaine K. Leonhard.