BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ping Ye, 35, of Amherst, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to transport aliens within the United States for financial gain, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.

Ye is the owner of the Sushi Queen restaurant on Delaware Avenue in Tonawanda. On February 5, 2025, North Tonawanda Police officers conducted a traffic stop of a minivan registered to Ye. Co-conspirator Wenjie Xu was driving the minivan, which contained five passengers. During the traffic stop, Xu, who did not speak English, called Ye, who spoke with law enforcement officers, falsely stating that that the five passengers were friends of his visiting from New York City for a few days, and that they did not work for him. However, the five passengers had actually been in Western New York between several months and over a year, during which time they were working at Sushi Queen. Ye further stated that the five passengers were staying at his house on Ganson Street. At the request of North Tonawanda Police, Border Patrol agents responded and took both Xu and the five passengers into custody. Agents subsequently determined that Xu was a Chinese national who was present in the United States illegally, and the five passengers were Guatemalan nationals who were likewise present in the United States illegally.

On February 7, 2025, Border Patrol agents conducted surveillance at the Ganson Street residence and subsequently arrested two more individuals, also Guatemalan nationals present in the United States illegally. On March 25, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at the Sushi Queen restaurant, seizing various employee personnel records. No employee personnel records were found for the seven Guatemalan nationals illegally present in the United States.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A. C. Penrose. The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone, and U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Acting Chief Patrol Agent James D'Amato.

Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

# # # #