South Jersey businessman who hired undocumented immigrants goes to prison

WINSLOW — A Camden County businessman was sentenced to more than a year in prison by a federal judge after admitting he kept more than a dozen unauthorized immigrants on the payroll of his dry cleaners.

Phillip Hui, 38, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $98,864 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said Hui, a resident of the Sicklerville section of this township, and business partner Kathy Lei, 36, of Williamstown, failed to report the wages and pay taxes for at least 13 unauthorized immigrants in 2012 and at least 14 immigrant workers from Mexico and Guatemala in 2013.

The pair paid the immigrants in cash, between $400 and $500 per week. The employees worked about 10 hours a day at New Eastern Cleaners in Voorhees.

Hui provided them with transportation to and from work, as well as covered the rent for a South Main Street house in Williamstown that he, Lei and two others owned, prosecutors said.