Vinton restaurant owners charged with hiring illegal workers, tax fraud

Two Vinton restaurant owners were charged Wednesday in U.S. District Court for hiring illegal immigrants at their business.

Chan Gia Duong, 43, and Phung Ca Long, 41, owners of Peony Family Restaurant in Vinton, are charged with one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal immigrants for commercial gain, according to criminal information. Duong and Long provided employment, transportation and places to live for the illegal immigrants, the information claims.

Duong also faces an additional charge of filing a false tax return and Long faces an additional charge of making false statements to Medicaid relating to health care.

The information alleges that, between about October 2004 and November 2008, Duong and Long conspired to harbor multiple illegal aliens for commercial advantage and personal financial gain.

Duong is also accused of providing the IRS with false information for his 2007 income and Long is accused of providing Iowa Medicaid with false information to gain health care benefits resulting in a loss of $28,156.

If convicted, Duong faces up to 13 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, and he would also have to pay costs of prosecution for the tax charge.

Long, if convicted, faces up to 15 years in prison and $500,000 fine.

In addition to these criminal charges, the government will pursue the civil forfeiture of real and personal property of Duong and Long.  This includes real estate in Vinton and in California, Florida, and Illinois, and a forfeiture of more than $750,000 in cash, two cars and over 50 pieces of jewelry.  These civil cases will proceed separately from the criminal cases.

Duong's initial court appearance is set 11 a.m. Nov. 5. There wasn't a court date for Long.