Photo: The Canadian Press

Immigration fraud charges have been stayed against two Charlottetown motel owners who allegedly allowed hundreds of newcomers to use their hotel as an address without intentions of staying on P.E.I.

Defence lawyer Lee Cohen and the federal prosecution service confirmed today that the charges were stayed due to a lack of evidence against the siblings operating the Sherwood Motel.

In May, the Canada Border Services Agency charged 60-year-old Ping Zhong with three counts of aiding and abetting misrepresentation under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and five charges were laid against her 58-year-old brother, Yi Zhong.

Cohen said in an interview that the Crown failed to produce evidence that either of his clients assisted seven Chinese immigrants named in the charges to misrepresent themselves to immigration officials.

The lawyer also said the Charter of Rights and Freedoms allows the immigrants to move to other parts of Canada after they have come to the country under a provincial immigration system.

The CBSA had alleged 566 immigrants used the same two addresses between 2008 and 2015 — the Sherwood and Ping Zhong's Charlottetown home.

Nearly all of the immigrants were eventually granted permanent residency under the provincial nominee program, the Island's main business immigration program.