A Rincon restaurant has been charged with harboring and employing illegal aliens, and a federal grand jury in Savannah has returned a three-count indictment against the restaurant.

Rincon residents Guo Hua Jiang and Jian Chun Liu have been charged with conspiracy to harbor and employ illegal aliens, harboring illegal aliens at their residences and restaurant, and employing unauthorized aliens at their restaurant, the Hong Kong Buffet.  

The indictment also alleges a forfeiture count in which the government seeks the forfeiture of defendants’ two residences and two vehicles.             

Edmund A. Booth Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, stated that the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 25 years imprisonment and a fine of $750,000 if convicted. Both defendants currently have outstanding orders of deportation. An initial appearance has not yet been scheduled.

Booth emphasized that an indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  

Booth praised the joint efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office that led to the indictment. The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica L. McClellan.