Chinese Nationals Plead Guilty To Harboring And Employing Illegal Aliens

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. - On December 4, 2025, Xue Rong Wu, 44 and, Xiong Wei Yang, 44 currently of Elizabethton, Tennessee entered guilty pleas to one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A)(iii) and (v)(I), (a)(1)(B)(i) and one count of aiding and abetting the practice and pattern of hiring for employment aliens not authorized to be employed in the United States in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324a(a)(1)(A) and (f)(1), 18 U.S.C. § 2, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Sentencing has been set before the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge, on April 8, 2026, at 11:00am in United States District Court at Greeneville.

They each face a term of imprisonment of up to 10 years followed by a term of supervised release up to three years, and a fine up to $250,000.00, as to the first count and up to six months imprisonment or not more than $3000 fine for each unauthorized alien or both, a term of probation up to five years, and a fine up to $5,000.00 as to the latter count.

According to filed court documents, Wu and Yang, who are married, run the Red Ginger Buffet in Elizabethton. They converted a single-family residence in Elizabethton into numerous single person rooms where their employees lived. During a traffic stop on March 20, 2025, agents stopped Wu's vehicle leaving the residence heading to the Red Ginger Buffet. Wu was driving the vehicle occupied by seven other passengers. The five male passengers each spoke Spanish, and only three were able to produce identification. The other two stated their identification was with their belongings at the residence. Four of the five male passengers confirmed they were from Mexico, and the other confirmed he was from Guatemala. The two female passengers were each confirmed to be from China, spoke very little English, and provided Tennessee identification cards. The five male passengers confirmed that they were employed at the Red Ginger Buffett, did not have to prove their citizenship or identity for employment and were allowed to live at the home for free. A records check confirmed that the five male passengers were in the country illegally.

U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Acting Special Agent in Charge, Colin Jackson, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.

This prosecution is the result of an ongoing investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations.

Meghan L. Gomez, Assistant United States Attorney represented 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.

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