DETROIT, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A Metro Detroit restaurant owner is now trading in steak knives for legal trouble after federal prosecutors say his business model went way beyond dinner service.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s April 24 press release, Yong Ni, 52, of Troy, Michigan and owner of two Kyoto Japanese Steakhouse restaurants, has been indicted on charges including conspiracy, harboring illegal aliens for commercial advantage and private financial gain, and fraud and misuse of immigration documents.

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Investigators say Ni didn’t just hire workers – he allegedly housed them in properties he owned and shuttled them to and from his restaurants. During raids we reported on back in November 2025, authorities found 28 people living in those homes, including 17 individuals in the U.S. without legal work authorization.

Prosecutors claim the operation didn’t stop at housing and transportation. Ni is accused of directing workers without proper documentation to obtain fraudulent green cards and Social Security numbers.

Ni is also charged with allegedly securing his own residency by failing to disclose a prior exclusion order tied to a fake passport attempt back in the ‘90s.

The case was investigated by the Macomb County FBI Gang and Violent Crime Task Force. U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said employers who profit from illegal labor will be prosecuted, noting it undercuts American workers.

If convicted, Ni faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. For now, it’s all allegations – but the feds are clearly sending a message: running a restaurant is one thing…running an underground workforce is another.