Employer Charged in Fire That Killed 5 Illegal Immigrants

NOVI, MI – The owner of the restaurant who provided jobs and housing for five Mexican immigrants who died in a Novi house fire last month has been criminally charged by the federal government.

Police have said careless smoking may be responsible for a fire that started on a mattress in the basement of a house at 23184 Mystic Forest, and the charges announced Friday hold Roger Tam, the Kim’s Garden restaurant owner who hired and housed the undocumented workers, partially responsible.

“This case is a sobering reminder of the dangers employers create when they harbor undocumented immigrants,” U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said in a statement. “In order to obtain a competitive advantage by paying lower wages and evading taxes, some employers will subject undocumented workers to poor living conditions and even dangerous situations.”

The victims were all 23 years old or younger, and three were teenagers.

SEE ALSO

• 5 Restaurant Co-Workers Die in Novi House Fire
• All 5 Victims Identified in Fatal Novi Fire