Restaurant owner charged with harboring, transporting illegal immigrants he employed

PITTSBURGH — The owner of several restaurants in the Pittsburgh area is charged with harboring and transporting illegal immigrants, Acting U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song announced Monday.

According to an indictment, 44-year-old Xing Zheng Lin, also known as Steve Lin, harbored and transported the immigrants, who were employed at his Saga Restaurant locations in Monroeville, Robinson and Bethel Park. The crimes were allegedly committed from around 2009 until about Jan. 10, 2014.

The indictment said Lin worked to “conceal, harbor and shield from detection” workers “for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain.”

Court paperwork indicates that the workers were housed on Steubenville Pike and in a home in Monroeville.

If convicted, Lin, of McKees Rocks, faces a maximum sentence on each count of up to 10 years in prison for each illegal immigrant, a fine of $250,000 for each illegal immigrant or both.

An investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation led to Lin’s indictment.

Cox Media Group