Former Owners of Spring Hill restaurant named in federal indictment alleging money laundering, harboring undocumented workers

This story has been updated to reflect that those charged were the former and not the current owners of the restaurant.

The former owners of Spring Hill’s Bonfire Mongolian Grill restaurant have been named in a Federal indictment, charging them with conspiracy to commit money laundering and harboring undocumented workers.

Fourty six-year-old  Zhongzhi “Tommy” Zhuo, 37-year-old Jianping “Alan” Zhuo, 38-year-old Xiaofen “Joyce” Zhuo, all of Hendersonville, and 35-year-old Jianhua “Jason” Zhuo and 32-year-old Lili Wu, both of Gallatin, were all charged in the indictment, with prosecutors naming Zhongzhi Zhou, Jianping Zhuo, and Jianhua Zhuo, along with Lily Wu, as the owners or operators of several middle Tennessee restaurants.

According to a DOJ news release, prosecutors allege that the defendants took part in a scheme to “harbor persons who were in the United States illegally” by providing financial support through employment, housing and transportation, as well as allegations that they attempted to commit tax fraud.

In addition to Spring Hill’s Bonfire Mongolian Grill, prosecutors said that Zhongzhi, Jianping Zhuo and Wu were also the owners of other Bonfire restaurant locations in Hendersonville, Clarksville and Mt. Juliet as well as Fuji Japanese Steakhouse restaurants in Hendersonville, Goodlettsville, and Whitehouse, and the Koi Japanese Steakhouse restaurant in Gallatin.

The indictment alleges that residential properties owned or leased by one or more of the defendants were used to house undocumented workers, including in Spring Hill.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation in which the federal government is seeking to forfeit four residences involved in the commission of the offenses, bank accounts and a money judgment representing the amount of the proceeds of the crimes.

If convicted, the defendants could face between five and 20 years in prison.