9 arrested after MCSO raids 2 restaurants in identity theft cases

9 arrested after MCSO raids 2 restaurants in identity theft cases

Updated: Jul 18, 2013 7:43 AM PDT
Thursday, July 18, 2013 10:43 AM EST

PHOENIX (AP) - Maricopa County Sheriff's detectives have raided two restaurants in north Phoenix and Peoria, looking for workers suspected of identity theft.

Three search warrants were executed Wednesday as part of an investigation into the Uncle Sam's chain restaurants.

Detectives arrested Jose Artemo Aguilar-Flores, Fernando Abundez-Gonzalez, Marcial Reyes-Gonzalez, Jorge Nava-Lares, Victor Moran-Vargas, Emigdio Munoz-Gonzalez, Rene Ramirez, Valentin Villanueva-Fernandez and Gerardo Zavala-Zavala.

They're all facing forgery and/or identity theft charges.

After a nine-month investigation, sheriff's investigators suspected as many as 121 people gained employment at the Uncle Sam chain since October through the use of falsified documents and ID theft.

The raids attempted to locate 70 of the employees working either at the Peoria restaurant or the north Phoenix location.

The restaurant owner's home office in Scottsdale also was searched by sheriff's detectives.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/22870394/2013/07/17/mcso-raids-2-restaurants-in-identity-theft-cases