33 year-old Chinese Belizean businessman, Zhon Yue Ruan, the owner of Fusion Bar, and 35 year-old Jose Mejia, a Honduran Belizean businessman, who owns Long Island Bar, are facing fines for immigration charges after they were busted for hiring illegal immigrant workers.
According immigration officers, at around 6:30 p.m. yesterday, they went to Fusion Bar, and saw 8 women with nationalities from neighboring countries who were working as waitresses.
When the officers asked the women for their immigration documents, they were unable to produce any, and it was later discovered that Ruan hired them without any valid working permits. As a result, Ruan was charged with 8 counts of employing persons not in possession of valid working permits.
He was arraigned before Magistrate Adolph Lucas today, where he pleaded guilty to all 8 counts. He was ordered to pay fines to a total amount of $14,000 which he must pay in its entirety by June 30, 2013.
In relation to Mejia, the immigration officers said that shortly after that operation at Fusion Bar, they went to Long Island Bar. The officers saw 4 Honduran women, who reported that they were working at the bar as waitresses, and that they were employed by Mejia. They, however, couldn't produce any valid working permits.
As a result, Mejia was charged with 4 counts of employing persons without valid working permits, and he was arraigned today before Magistrate Lucas, where he pleaded guilty to all charges.
He was ordered to pay fines to a total of $5,500, which he must pay by March 31, 2013. Both men were able to leave the court free today.
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