PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon woman accused of fraudulently obtaining visas to bring cooks to the U.S. for cheap labor at two restaurants in Washington state has pleaded guilty.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports 59-year-old Tanya Jumroon, also known as Thunyarax Phatanakit Jumroon, a naturalized citizen originally from Thailand — pleaded guilty in Portland federal court on June 14 to charges of forced labor, visa fraud conspiracy and filing a false tax return.
Prosecutors say Tanya Jumroon and her former husband Paul Jumroon brought four cooks from Thailand to work at Curry in a Hurry in Lake Oswego and Teriyaki Thai in Ridgefield between 2011 and 2014.
According to authorities, the couple used various threats to force the cooks to work 12-hour days for minimal pay.
Paul Jumroon pleaded guilty in February to the same charges. Paul Jumroon and Tanya Jumroon are both scheduled to be sentenced in October.
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