Thai Restaurant Owner In Us Arrested

[ThaisGood]

Restaurant owner pleads not guilty to charges of setting up "sham marriages"

The owner of the Thai Ginger, a local chain of popular Thai restaurants, pleaded not guilty this afternoon to federal charges alleging she paid her employees thousands of dollars to enter into "sham marriages" with her relatives from Thailand so they could stay in the U.S.

By Ian Ith

Seattle Times staff reporter

The owner of the Thai Ginger, a local chain of popular Thai restaurants, pleaded not guilty this afternoon to federal charges alleging she paid her employees thousands of dollars to enter into "sham marriages" with her relatives from Thailand so they could stay in the U.S.

A federal grand-jury indictment was unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Seattle against Varee Bradford, 43, of Issaquah, who operates five Thai Ginger restaurants in Seattle and the Eastside. She was arrested this morning.

Bradford is charged with four immigration crimes, including conspiracy to commit immigration fraud.

She was released on personal recognizance after her initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court.

Also named in the indictment is an associate of Bradford, Porramin Tangchaiwanna, 32, also known as "Golf." He is charged with assisting Bradford in arranging a sham marriage with a man who turned out to be an undercover immigration agent. He also pleaded not guilty.

Bradford's husband, Michael, the co-owner of the restaurants, declined to comment this morning.

The charging documents specify four marriages that Bradford arranged between her employees and Thai relatives between 2001 and 2007.

Both male and female employees were offered between $10,000 and $20,000 to marry the Thai immigrants to make it easier for them to obtain permanent resident "green cards," and stay in the country, according to the charges.

In February 2008, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent went undercover and met with Bradford and Tangchaiwanna, the court documents say. Bradford offered $20,000 for the undercover agent to marry a woman named Nikki, the prosecutors charge.

Bradford told the agent that he should "communicate with Nikki on a frequent basis to get to know her and prepare for the immigration interview."

The agent was to receive $5,000 payments, with the last delivered when Nikki got her green card, the documents charge.

Bradford is also charged with helping to fill out the immigration paperwork that fraudulently claimed the arranged marriages were real.

Bradford's Thai Ginger restaurants are at Pacific Place in downtown Seattle, Madison Park, Redmond Town Center, Issaquah and in Factoria in Bellevue.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/loca...iginger23m.html

[JohnGotti]

dam_n, is it really that hard to live in the USA legally.

[mrt273nva]

dam_n, is it really that hard to live in the USA legally.

YES! it is very difficult. We have been trying for more than a year to get an immigration visa for my wife to come live with me in the US. We have a son together but it doesn't matter, all t's must be crossed and all i's must be dotted. Hopefully she will have the visa by the end of this month and we can finally begin our life back in the States.

[JohnGotti]

I see. I guess we farang are so lucky to have such kind and generous immigration regulations here.

[mogoso]

dam_n, is it really that hard to live in the USA legally.

Yes it is. But if you can get in illegally through Mexico, life is good.

Got about 15 million or more illegals in the US that his nibs B.H. Obama will work on getting them legal status and citizenship ASAP after he gets more pressing agenda passed.

But to those who jump through the hoops to do it the right way, bend over.

[krading]

Try getting a tourist visa if you have any kind of police record. Friend of mine wanted to honeymoon in US but got knocked back because of an ancient conviction for 'failing to cease loiter'. Anyone remember that one? The copper's favourite weapon in the old days.

p.s. They honeymooned through Europe instead.

U.S. Immigration

[dave111223]

You're telling the US government is spending money to send FBI agents on undercover sting operations to bust 4 PHONY MARRIAGES!!

Our tax dollars hard at work...and i'm assuming that this agent actually worked at the restaurant for some lengthy amount of time (i'd think that such a proposition would not be suggested until employee had been working for quite a while)

I wonder exactly how much time/money this cost the government. And how many 10s of thousands of Mexicans jumped the border during this time...

[mrt273nva]

I wonder exactly how much time/money this cost the government. And how many 10s of thousands of Mexicans jumped the border during this time...

i have heard estimates at 4,000 illegals a day (possibly less now because of the US economy and less jobs)

[capco1]

getting a green card in America is a total joke! took my then pregnant Thai wife almost a year just to get a K-1 fiancee visa after she arrived here it took an additional 1 1/2 years to get her green card and work permit. Every time we sent them something they requested we had a 5 month wait just to hear back from them and wanting something additional. Not alone to mention that between my wife and my step daughter we've spent over $2500. I'd never do it again!!! much easier to live in Thailand.

[mellow1]

My wife had no such problems. Also she didn't have to show 45,000 or 65,000 in monthly income from Thailand, nor did she need 400,000 or 800,000 in a US bank 3 months before and one month after for a yearly visa renewal. It took her 4 months to get approved, and she got her green card in the mail shortly after her arrival. Then got a social Security card with that. No need for a work permit, and no 90 day reporting. No one was calling her foreigner everywhere she went, and did'nt get charged more for anything, then anyone else. She can own land, a house, and even buy a car, unlike here. Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining and we are happy here in Thailand now. But really no comparison with the 2 systems, nor countries.

[mellow1]

^ those people should be arrested. You would be here, then deported, maybe some jail time and a hefty fine.

[LongThaimer]

dam_n, is it really that hard to live in the USA legally.

Yes it is. But if you can get in illegally through Mexico, life is good.

Got about 15 million or more illegals in the US that his nibs B.H. Obama will work on getting them legal status and citizenship ASAP after he gets more pressing agenda passed.

But to those who jump through the hoops to do it the right way, bend over.

she kinda of did the hard way, i guess .....

had friends went there for college and never came back, some still with questionable status hard to believe after more than a decade .......