Thread: FL: Plea likely in restaurant sting

Published - December, 26, 2007
Plea likely in restaurant sting
Suspect expected to plead guilty to violating U.S. immigration laws


Kris Wernowsky
kwernowsky@pnj.com
One of nearly a dozen defendants arrested in a drug conspiracy investigation that centered around a popular Gulf Breeze restaurant is expected to plead guilty to violating federal immigration laws.

Miguel Angel Gamez, 38, is scheduled to appear at a change of plea hearing at 9 a.m. Thursday before U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers.

Gamez, charged with re-entry of deported aliens, was arrested on Dec. 3 during the raids on several Mexican restaurants owned or associated with Gulf Breeze restaurateur Rogelio Galvan Chavez.

Gamez, who previously pleaded not guilty to the re-entry charge, faces up to two years in federal prison. Federal authorities arrested Chavez, owner of Cancun's Mexican Grill, and his associates on drug conspiracy charges after a 10-month investigation.

Chavez also is accused of harboring illegal immigrants to work in his restaurants in Pensacola, Navarre and Gulf Breeze. Many of the illegal immigrants were held for deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

A federal grand jury handed up an indictment for Chavez and Gamez along with seven other men arrested during the raids earlier this month.

The jury trial for all those charged, with the exception of Gamez, is scheduled for Feb. 4 before Rodgers.

The charges include:

n Chavez, Cesar Madonado Bazquez, Jesus Rodriguez Orosco, Antioco Cabrera Esquivel and Alejandro Hatem Hernandez, all were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess cocaine and methamphetamine.

n Chavez, Orosco and Hernandez also were charged with using cell phones in the facilitation of a felony.

n Hernandez is charged with selling fake Social Security cards.

n Orosco, Hernandez and Bazquez are charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.

n Bazquez, Gamez, Hernandez and Orosco are charged with re-entry to the United States after deportation.

n Fernando Alcazar Carmona and Jose Luis Martinez Alvarez are charged with possessing false permanent resident cards.

n Esquivel, Carmona, Jose Luis Martinez Alvarez and Jose Luis Vieyra Camarillo are charged with possessing a fake Social Security cards.

www.pensacolanewsjournal.com

Published - December, 27, 2007


Man faces prison, deportation

Kris Wernowsky
kwernowsky@pnj.com

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com


A man arrested in the early December raid on several Mexican restaurants in the Pensacola Bay Area pleaded guilty Thursday to illegally re-entering the country after being deported.

Miguel Angel Gamez, 38, charged with re-entry of deported aliens, was arrested Dec. 3 during the raids on several Mexican restaurants owned or associated with Gulf Breeze restaurateur Rogelio Galvan Chavez.

Gamez faces up to two years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and a year of supervised release on the single charge.

U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers said Gamez is also subject to deportation upon his release from prison. The only condition of his supervised release would be to not re-enter the country without U.S. Department of Homeland Security approval, Rodgers said.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 14.

Gamez was deported from the United States twice before, once in 1999 and again in 2004, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Goldberg said during Thursday?s hearing.

Goldberg also noted that no plea agreement was reached between Gamez and the U.S. attorney?s office.

He has since resided in Pensacola with his wife and two children. Both children are U.S. citizens. His wife is a Mexican national, he said in court.

Gamez said he had lived locally for nine years and most recently worked at Monterrey?s Mexican Grill on Bayou Boulevard.

Gamez previously pleaded not guilty to the re-entry charge. Federal authorities arrested Chavez, owner of Cancun?s Mexican Grill, and his associates on drug conspiracy charges after a 10-month investigation.

Chavez also is accused of harboring illegal immigrants to work in his restaurants in Pensacola, Navarre and Gulf Breeze. Many of the illegal immigrants were held for deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

A federal grand jury handed up an indictment for Chavez and Gamez along with seven other men arrested during the raids earlier this month.

The jury trial for all those charged, with the exception of Gamez, is scheduled for Feb. 4 before Rodgers.