Myrtle Beach man housed J-1 visa students illegally in his garage, police say
Myrtle Beach police have a man in custody who they say used his garage as an illegal rental residence for J-1 visa students.
Romeo Qendro, 54, of Myrtle Beach, has been charged with operating without a business license from the Myrtle Beach Police Department and received citations from Myrtle Beach Code Enforcement and the Myrtle Beach Fire Marshal.
J-1 exchange visitors come to the United States to teach, study, receive training or demonstrate special skills.
Myrtle Beach Police officers responded to a residence in the 800 block of 66th Avenue North of Kings Highway on Wednesday after receiving information about a rental apartment in a garage.
During the investigation, officers learned Qendro was renting housing to three J-1 students in an apartment he built in his garage. Qendro did not have the proper permits or licenses, and the improvised residence had limited air conditioning and was not acceptable by established standards.
Myrtle Beach Regulatory officers, along with Code Enforcement and the Fire Marshal, performed an inspection this morning at the residence and issued citations for the violations that were observed.
The three students have been relocated to new housing, police said.
“J-1 students come to Myrtle Beach to experience the best our community can offer and unfortunately, some don’t have the experience they expect when they get here,” said Myrtle Beach Police Chief Amy Prock. “I want our visiting students and residents to know that we will not tolerate the exploitation of our guests. If you believe other students are being taken advantage of, please report this to our department at 843-918-1382.”
This story was originally published July 14, 2021 at 5:56 PM.
