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VIDEO: Acapulco Owner Among Dozens Arrested

Last Updated: September 24, 2012 3:39:44 pm
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An Acapulco Mexican Restaurant employee is taken from the Lawrenceburg establishment on Monday. Mike Perleberg-Eagle 99.3

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) – The owner of the Acapulco Mexican Restaurant chain in southeast Indiana is at the center of a raid concerning accusations of stolen social security numbers, money laundering, and theft.

SEE VIDEO OF THE ARRESTS IN LAWRENCEBURG BELOW.


Adolfo Lopez was one of dozens of people arrested during a warrant sweep by Indiana Excise Police, Dearborn County Special Crimes Unit, and Lawrenceburg Police on Monday. Officers handcuffed employees at restaurant locations in Lawrenceburg, Aurora, Rising Sun, Batesville, and Versailles.

Police also took records from a tax-preparation service in Greenwood, two banks in Lafayette, and five other banks in the southeast region.

According to information investigators included in a probable cause affidavit, Lopez only reported the credit card sales made at his Indiana restaurants. He did not report thousands of dollars in cash sales.

Also, investigators said that almost all of the employees at the restaurants had false identification. The charges range from corrupt business influence to forgery and perjury.

The suspects arrested in Dearborn County were being loaded into corrections vans and being taken to the Dearborn County Law Enforcement Center in Lawrenceburg for processing.

Monday's events may mark a hard fall from grace for a popular and seemingly successful local business. Acapulco Mexican Restaurant was named the 2011 Business of the Year by the Dearborn County Chamber of Commerce.

Acapulco restaurants were closed on Monday. It is unclear if or when they may reopen. There are not many other Mexican restaurants in Dearborn, Ohio, and Ripley counties, meaning people seeking the ethnic cuisine may be forced to travel out of state.



LINKS:

SEI Mexican Restaurants Raided

There are not many other Mexican restaurants in Dearborn, Ohio, and Ripley counties, meaning people seeking the ethnic cuisine may be forced to travel out of state.

Wow! There is a place in this country that isn't full of invading illegals! Cool! Oh and illegals we can make our own mexican food-we don't need you.

Arrests follow restaurant search

September 24, 2012

Debbie BlankThe Herald-Tribune
Video at Link.

At exactly 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 24, Indiana State Excise Police officers began serving search warrants at 13 businesses and four residences in eight cities across Indiana, including Acapulco No. 6 Mexican Restaurant, Batesville, said Cpl. Travis Thickstun, ISEP public information officer, Indianapolis, who was standing in front of the restaurant to brief the media.

Midday diners were greeted by a CLOSED sign at Acapulco’s entrance.

Simultaneously, excise officers also were serving 108 arrest warrants to owners and employees working at five restaurant locations after an 18-month investigation into the use of fraudulent and stolen Social Security numbers.

At least eight Batesville restaurant employees were arrested and initially charged with identity deception. They were transported to the Dearborn County Jail, Lawrenceburg, according to Thickstun.

At 1:30 p.m. ISEP officers were still at the Batesville business, interviewing a female and getting ready to drill a safe, one said.
The public information officer explained, “Officers are looking for evidence of corrupt business influence, money laundering, forgery, perjury, identity deception and theft.” He said the money laundering was “not necessarily” due to drug sales.

Excise police officers also served search warrants at these locations: an undisclosed residence in Batesville; Acapulco No. 11 Mexican Restaurant,Versailles; Acapulco No. 3 Mexican Restaurant, Lawrenceburg; Acapulco No. 5 Mexican Restaurant, Rising Sun; Acapulco No. 8 Mexican Restaurant, Aurora; and an undisclosed residence in Lafayette.

The officers also searched five banks in southeast Indiana, two other banks in Lafayette and the offices of a tax-preparation service in Greenwood. Thickstun pointed out, “The banks didn't do anything wrong.” He added, “We’re seizing quite a bit of money today ... It will be a substantial amount,” but he didn’t have a dollar figure yet.

“It will be some time before we have finalized charges” because of the amount of evidence being collected and taken to ISEP Indianapolis offices. “Based on what's found, the appropriate charges will be pursued.”

Excise officers have been assisted throughout their investigation by the Dearborn County Special Crimes Unit, Dearborn County Sheriff's Office, Lawrenceburg Police Department and Indiana Department of Revenue.

Indiana State Excise Police officers are the enforcement division of the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission. While excise officers have the authority to enforce any state law, they focus primarily on alcohol, tobacco and related violations.
Thickstun reminded, “All criminal and administrative-law defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”

Excise Police Acapulco Mexican Restaurant Batesville: Excise police raid businesses in hopes of arresting more than 100 suspects - fox59.com

UPDATE: SEI Mexican Restaurants

Update posted at 1:28 p.m.:

Indiana State Excise Police are continuing the carry out warrants throughout southeast Indiana.

More than 100 warrants are being served as part of an 18-month investigation into the use of fraudulent and stolen Social Security numbers, money laundering and theft surrounding Acapulco Mexican Restaurtant locations.

An eyewitness stated that at least four people were seen being taken out of the restaurant in Rising Sun in handcuffs.

According to Eagle 99.3 archives, Acapulco's Mexican Restaurant was named the Dearborn County Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year in 2011. The restaurant chain is owned by Adolpho Lopez.



Original story posted at 12:23 p.m.:

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) – More than 100 arrest warrants are being served Monday at more than a dozen southeast Indiana homes and restaurants.

Indiana State Excise Police say that officers are currently serving search warrants at 13 businesses and four residences in eight cities across Indiana. The locations include:

Acapulco #6 Mexican Restaurant, 1044 State Road 229 North, Batesville, Ind.
Acapulco #3 Mexican Restaurant, 301 Margaret Street, Lawrenceburg, Ind.
Acapulco #5 Mexican Restaurant, 147-149 Main Street, Rising Sun, Ind.
Acapulco #8 Mexican Restaurant, 301 North 2^nd Street, Aurora, Ind.
Acapulco #11 Mexican Restaurant, 1006 South Adams Street, Versailles, Ind.
Two undisclosed residences in Lawrenceburg, Ind.
An undisclosed residence in Lafayette, Ind.
An undisclosed residence in Batesville, Ind.

They are also searching the offices of a tax-preparation service in Greenwood, Ind., two banks in Lafayette, Ind., and five other banks in southeast Indiana.

Investigators say the raids are an 18 month investigation into the use of fraudulent and stolen Social Security Numbers. Officers are looking for evidence of corrupt business influence, money laundering, forgery, perjury, identity deception and theft.

A person who witnessed the raids in Lawrenceburg recounted what he saw.

"The police were chasing what appeared to be illegals out the back door as I drove by. And then as I got around to the other side of town, more excise police were raiding a house by the Proximo shipping warehouse. The front door was kicked in and you could see a bunch of beds inside," the witness told Eagle 99.3.

Excise officers are being assisted throughout their investigation by the Dearborn County Special Crimes Unit, Dearborn County Sheriff’s Office, Lawrenceburg Police Department and the Indiana Department of Revenue.
Eagle Country 99.3 FM | Lawrenceburg, IN

9/25/2012 3:00:00 PM Excise raids target chain of Mexican restaurants

SStaff, Wire Services Indiana State Excise Police officers served more than 100 arrest warrants Monday across Indiana as part of an investigation into the use of fraudulent and stolen Social Security numbers. The 18-month investigation targeted 13 businesses and four homes. This morning, authorities reported they had seized more than $2.5 million, and said that half of the people sought were in custody. The 13 businesses were five Mexican restaurants, seven banks and a tax-preparation service. Warrants were served at the Acapulco restaurants in Rising Sun, Versailles, Aurora, Batesville and Lawrenceburg, all of which are owned by Adolfo Lopez. The homes where warrants were served were in Lawrenceburg, Lafayette, and Batesville, and the tax-preparation office was in Greenwood. Two of the banks were in Lafayette and the five other banks were in southeastern Indiana. The Excise Police did not identify the banks. Cpl. Travis Thickstun said officers are looking for evidence of crimes including money laundering, forgery, perjury, identity deception and theft. Prosecutors said Lopez failed to report cash sales made at his 11 restaurants, and instead, only reported the credit card sales. Nearly all of the restaurant's employees have false identification, officials said. Lopez was named "Businessman of the Year" last year in Dearborn County. Excise raids target chain of Mexican restaurants - The Madison Courier Daily Newspaper - Madison, Indiana - Madison, IN

Sept. 27, 2012

Mexican restaraunt chain closed following arrests


By Justin McClelland
Staff Writer

A Mexican restaurant chain with locations in Lebanon and Fairfield remains closed Thursday after Indiana Police arrested more than 40 people on charges of identity theft, money laundering and other crimes.

Indiana State Excise Police arrested 41 people and seized evidence from 13 businesses, four residences and two vehicles related to an 18-month investigation in the Acapulco Mexican restaurant chain, according to Cpl. Travis Thickstun of the Excise Police.

Police believe that Acapulco’s operators and workers were using stolen social security numbers and not reporting sales to avoid paying sales taxes among other issues, Thickstun said. Officers seized roughly $3 million in U.S. currency, 12 vehicles and an undisclosed amount of foreign currency. They also searched the offices of a tax-preparation service in Greenwood, Ind., two banks in Lafayette, Ind., and five other banks in southeast Indiana.

So far the investigation has centered around Acapulco restaurants in Batesville, Lawrenceburg, Rising Sun, Aurora and Versailles, Ind.

Lebanon police had not received any complaints about the Lebanon location, located at 916 Columbus Ave., and were not currently investigating it, said Lebanon Police Chief Jeff Mitchell.

When called for comment, a person who identified himself as an employee at Acapulco said the Lebanon location was currently closed but he was hopeful it would be reopened “in a day or two.”

Fairfield’s Acapulco restaurant, 5953 Boymel Drive, was closed Wednesday and is closed again today. Officer Doug Day of the Fairfield police department said police are not investigating the restaurant, that no criminal complaints have been filed against the venue, and the business has been paying its city income taxes.

Acapulco operates nine locations in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, according to the company website.

Mexican restaraunt chain closed following arrests | www.whiotv.com