Casa Fiesta owner faces charges

January 21, 2010

TOLEDO — The owner of eight Casa Fiesta restaurants faces charges stemming from July 2008 raids by federal agencies.

Ramon Ornelas, 42, of Norwalk, is charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with eight counts of harboring and concealing illegal aliens, three counts of mail fraud and seven counts of subscribing to a false tax return.

According to information filed Thursday by the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Ornelas owned Casa Fiesta restaurants in Youngstown, Vermilion, Ashland, Norwalk, Fremont, Oberlin, Oregon and Sandusky.

“These criminal charges represent (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)’s firm commitment to holding employers accountable for brazenly ignoring immigration laws as it relates to their work force,â€