Migrant sweep at water park leads to charges
Michael Kiefer
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 24, 2008 12:00 AM

A Maricopa County grand jury has returned a 41-count indictment against nine people arrested by Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies at a north Phoenix water park on June 10. The nine are suspected of being in the country illegally.

The four men and five women, employees of the Waterworld park, were charged with multiple felony counts of forgery, identity theft and aggravated identity theft, which means using more than one stolen identity.

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced the indictments at a joint news conference Monday and said that the ongoing investigation may lead not only to the first civil complaints under the state's new employer-sanctions law, but may result in criminal charges against the fun-park owners, as well.

The indictments were handed up Friday.

A spokesman for Golfland Entertainment Centers, which owns three Valley water parks, as well as six parks in California, said Monday that the company was unaware of the indictments. The company is owned by the Kenney family of Mesa and California.

Thomas said that "a new chapter in the enforcement of immigration law in Arizona has begun."

"While no charges have been filed against the employer in this case, to date, the investigation continues," he said. "The law is very clear: Intentionally or knowingly hiring an illegal immigrant violates Arizona's employer-sanctions statute. The community should expect to see more of this type of enforcement action in the future."

Acting on a tip from a former employee, sheriff's deputies swept into three seasonal parks on the morning of June 10. They served arrest warrants on the nine Waterworld employees, who were at the park or on their way to work.

The targeted suspects were supervisors, restaurant and maintenance workers. Some had worked for the park for more than 10 years, and according to the County Attorney's Office, they allegedly possessed and used forged and stolen Social Security and resident alien cards to secure employment.

A 10th person who was arrested is believed to have been turned over to immigration authorities.

Deputies also served search warrants at Waterworld and at Golfland/Sunsplash in Mesa, and served subpoenas for hundreds of employee records at Golfland/Sunsplash and Tempe's Big Surf.

Indicted were Victor Manuel Galaviz, German Ruben Vidaurrazaga-Sote, Ernesto Flores-Ayala, Erika Fabiola Ibarra-Cerda, Eduardo Franco-Robles, Monica Ibanez-Aranda, Maria del Pilar-Baez, Imelda Castro-Villegas and Eloiza Bojorquez Ayala. All are being held without bond.

Thomas would not elaborate on what criminal charges could be imposed on the company owners or managers, and neither he nor Arpaio would speculate on how long the investigation would take.
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