3 connected to buffet restaurant indicted on charges of harboring illegal workers

Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet closed abruptly Tuesday as multiple people connected to the business were arrested and later indicted on charges of harboring illegal workers for almost a decade.

The restaurant at 1100 W. 41st St. opened in 2012.

The business’ articles of incorporation listed Min Lin as the incorporator in 2012. They were dissolved in 2015. A filing establishing the business’ name, which expired earlier this year, listed Hui Weng as the owner.

Both were lodged Tuesday afternoon at the Minnehaha County Jail as was Jin Ju Pan.

The federal indictment lists Weng as an owner in the business, Lin as a manager who transported employees and Pan as someone who provided pay to employees and leased property where they lived. An additional defendant’s name appears to be redacted in the filing at this point.

According to the federal indictment, the three “knowingly combined, conspired, confederated and agreed with each other and other persons known and unknown to the grand jury to commit to aid and abet the commission of certain offenses against the United States.”

The filing said one or more of the three would buy residences for illegal workers to live in in return for rent payment, would provide transportation to and from the restaurant and would subtract money for rent, transportation and food from their pay. Employees were paid in cash, it said.

It happened between 2014 and August 2023 and on dates prior to that, according to the complaint. The conspirators “told employees if they wished to terminate their employment at the restaurant, they had to leave these residences,” it said. “Some of the conspirators advised employees that immigration authorities would be called if the employees did not work hard or do what they were told.”

Employees also were charged for food regardless if they ate at the restaurant, the indictment said.

The indictment also named several people it says the conspirators knew were in the U.S. illegally and disregarded for the purpose of private financial gain.

If convicted, the indictment calls for the three to forfeit almost $300,000 and about a dozen pieces of jewelry it says were obtained illegally.

Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet continued to be closed as of lunch today.

A note on the door reads: “Due to limited staffing we will be temporarily closed. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to serving the community again in the near future.”

The restaurant received a score of 85 out of 100 on its most recent food service inspection by the city of Sioux Falls, which was in January and ranks among the lowest in the city. That included two critical violations, one for storing apple juice at room temperature and one for not labeling chemical spray bottles in the food preparation area. There also were several violations related to cleanliness.

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