Seattle, June 24: The owner of a chain of popular Seattle-area Thai restaurants has been indicted on charges alleging she paid workers tens of thousands of dollars to enter into sham marriages with her relatives, allowing them to stay in the US.
Varee Bradford, who operates five Thai Ginger restaurants in Seattle and its suburbs, was arrested at her Issaquah home on Tuesday on one count of immigration fraud conspiracy and three counts of immigration document fraud. She was released on personal recognisance on Tuesday afternoon after pleading not guilty in US District Court.
A grand jury indictment cites four marriages between Thai Ginger workers who have US citizenship and Thai nationals, three of whom were Bradford’s relatives. Bradford paid three of the workers $10 000 to more than $20 000, while another, who had recently been promoted to management, received a loan of $3 780, the indictment said.
Knew marriages were illegal
Three of the workers were men and one was a woman. They were told the marriages would only have to last two years, until the Thai nationals received their green cards.
Assistant US Attorney Jill Otake said after the court hearing that authorities believe the US citizens knew the sham marriages were illegal and more charges could be forthcoming. She declined to say what prompted the investigation, which began in 2005.
Otake also said Bradford’s motives were financial, in that the scheme allowed her relatives to remain in the country and continue working at her restaurant.
She noted that a sham marriage investigation involving Vietnamese nationals in 2006 resulted in the government temporarily halting the issuance of visas to finances from Vietnam.
“The victims in this case are the hundreds of thousands of people around the world who want to come to this country,” Otake said.
Also charged on Tuesday was Porramin Tangchaiwanna, a Thai Ginger employee accused of helping to set up a fifth, attempted marriage between an undercover immigration agent and a Thai woman last year. He remained in custody on an immigration hold after pleading not guilty and could face deportation.
Maximum prison term
Bradford’s attorney, Jesse Cantor, and her husband declined to comment on Tuesday.
Bradford faces a maximum prison term of five years on the conspiracy charge and 10 years on each of the document fraud counts. Tangchaiwanna is only charged with immigration fraud conspiracy, and could face a maximum five years.
The indictment includes a criminal forfeiture allegation, meaning the government is seeking to seize any property Bradford may have purchased with proceeds from criminal activity.
Lorie Dankers, a Seattle spokesperson for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said she could not discuss the immigration status of anyone involved in the case. Otake noted that any who received green cards could have them revoked.
—Agencies