40 detained in raids at [Chuy's] Mexican restaurant

Houston Chronicle ^ | April 21, 2011 | BOB CHRISTIE - AP

[Cincinatus' Wife]

....Agents raided 15 Chuy's Mesquite Broiler restaurants in both states and served 20 search warrants. They detained about 40 suspected illegal immigrants who were working at the restaurants when the raids took place, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Vincent Picard said.

The father and son independently own about 20 restaurants in the Chuy's chain. A company accountant also was arrested on a 19-count indictment.

....The Evensons and accountant Diane Strehlow, 47, of Tempe, Ariz., are accused of hiring illegal immigrants for the company's kitchen operations and paying them under the table. They did not collect state or federal income taxes for those employees, according to the indictment.

Meanwhile, staff who worked with the public were legal workers and taxes were taken out of their checks.

..........According to the indictment, Mark Evenson personally directed employees not to provide personal information for illegal immigrants to the government because the workers would be arrested. After receiving a complaint about illegal immigrants working at the company's Lake Havasu City restaurant, he allegedly told an employee that adding "some American people" to the staff may stop the complaints.

.....ICE Director John Morton said Wednesday's raids were sparked by a tip more than a year ago that company officials were employing illegal workers.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

That’s a problem for them.

Thanks for the info.

[HiJinx]

Ping!