A Williamsburg woman arrested for skipping out on restaurant bills across Brooklyn now faces potential deportation to Taiwan, according to authorities.
Pei Chung, 34, has been held in custody since Friday on theft-of-service charges after allegedly dining at high-end establishments and leaving without paying.
Law enforcement sources indicate she has been dining and dashing at least 11 upscale restaurants in the Brooklyn area since October, Resist the Mainstream reported.
The Department of Corrections website shows Chung has been issued an immigration warrant.
A law enforcement source confirmed Chung overstayed her student visa, raising questions about her legal status in the United States.
Immigration attorney Gadi Zohar explained to the New York Post what Chung may face following her Wednesday court appearance.
The attorney indicated she will likely need to attend a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement hearing.
Zohar stated the criminal charges likely triggered the immigration warrant.
He explained that immigration officers will probably transfer her from Rikers to an immigration detention center.
“It could trigger her being taken away if she had a visa that expired,” Zohar said regarding Chung’s situation.
He added that even if she manages to post bail, immigration authorities will not release her.
Chung arrived in the United States in 2019 on a scholarship to attend Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where she studied until 2021.
She is not believed to have other family members in the country.
Her social media presence shows a lifestyle featuring designer accessories, including Louis Vuitton handbags and Hermes belts.
On Instagram, she describes herself as “99 lb, no plastic surgery.”
Chung last worked in 2023 as a Senior User Experience Designer consultant for Chase bank for eight months, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Between December 2021 and September 2022, she claims to have worked as a UX designer and user interface designer.
Around the time her employment ended, Chung stopped paying rent on her studio apartment in a luxury Williamsburg building.
The property is owned by former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, according to the Post, and the monthly rent was $3,350.
Court documents reveal Chung fell $40,000 behind in rent payments.
Her lease expired in August 2024, and she faces eviction on Dec. 1, though she may remain in custody at that time.
A judge has ordered her to vacate the premises by the deadline. However, her current legal situation may prevent her from being released in time to comply with the eviction order.
Chung’s most recent arrest occurred Friday while she dined at Mole Mexican Bar and Grill on Kent Avenue in Williamsburg.
Police report she ordered $149 worth of food and refused to pay before being taken into custody.
This marked her seventh arrest. Her bail has been set at $4,500 cash, but she remained in custody as of Tuesday afternoon.
John Winterman, owner of Francie restaurant where Chung allegedly dined without paying twice, expressed frustration after learning of her arrest. “I don’t think entitlement is a strong enough word,” Winterman told the Post Monday.
The string of alleged incidents includes visits to Hole in the Wall on Bedford Avenue on Nov. 19 and 12 Chairs on Nov. 17.
At the latter establishment, she photographed a mezze spread before allegedly leaving without settling her bill.
