ARIZONA: Zipps 36-year-old Illegal Immigrant Hiring Manager - 39 Arrests

On January 26, 2026, federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed search warrants at all 15 locations of Zipps Sports Grill, a restaurant chain in the towns of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert and Glendale, Arizona, as part of an ongoing probe into unlawful employment of undocumented immigrants, identity theft, and document fraud.

The operation stemmed from a yearlong investigation that uncovered a pattern of hiring unauthorized workers using fraudulent identification documents to bypass the E-Verify system.

The 36-year-old hiring manager in question is Diego Gonzalez-Rosales, who oversaw kitchen staffing for the chain's locations. No public information currently available indicates whether or not he has been using a false identity or alias himself.

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Diego Gonzalez-Rosales, the 36-year-old hiring manager (specifically for kitchen staff across all Zipps Sports Grill locations in Arizona), is described in multiple official sources and news reports as an undocumented immigrant (or "illegal alien" in some federal and media phrasing) residing in the United States illegally.

Key details from court documents, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona, and local reporting include:

• He is identified as a Mexican national who entered the U.S. illegally approximately two decades ago (around the early 2000s).

• Federal prosecutors charged him with offenses including a pattern and practice of knowingly employing unauthorized aliens, knowingly making false attestations on Form I-9 (employment eligibility verification forms), knowingly transferring means of identification without authority, and aggravated identity theft.

• Authorities allege he himself was in the country illegally while recruiting and assisting other undocumented workers in using fraudulent documents to pass E-Verify checks and falsely claim U.S. citizenship or work authorization on I-9 forms.

• Multiple outlets (e.g., FOX 10 Phoenix, Phoenix New Times, KTAR, Hoodline, and the Department of Justice press release) explicitly state he is undocumented or illegally residing in the U.S.

• The DOJ release and complaints describe him as knowingly employing "illegal aliens" in a scheme he participated in.

• One detailed report notes he has lived in the U.S. for decades as an undocumented individual.

• His attorney has described him as a "productive, hard-working member of the community" who has been in the U.S. for decades, but without disputing the immigration status allegations.

This contrasts with the broader arrests during the January 26, 2026 raids, where most of the 35–39 detained individuals were other undocumented kitchen employees using fake IDs. Gonzalez-Rosales' charges center on his managerial role in facilitating and participating in the fraud, while his own unauthorized status is highlighted as part of the case context.The investigation remains ongoing as of late January 2026, with no indication that his immigration status has been contested in public records.

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Federal prosecutors charged him with aggravated identity theft and related offenses, alleging he knowingly recruited undocumented individuals and assisted them in submitting fake names, Social Security numbers, and other documents while falsely claiming U.S. citizenship on I-9 forms.

Court documents indicate Gonzalez-Rosales admitted to investigators that he was aware some employees used "fake" identities for employment paperwork.

He reportedly managed the hiring process centrally, contributing to what authorities described as systemic violations at the company.

The raids resulted in the arrest of 39 people across the Valley-wide operation, primarily undocumented immigrants working at Zipps who were detained on charges related to identity theft and document fraud.

Other sources report slightly varying figures, such as more than 35 arrests, with at least 35 specifically identified as undocumented individuals.

Among those detained were long-time employees like Jose Barrera, a kitchen manager with 20 years at the chain, and his wife Monica Jimenez, both of whom were held during the searches.

Another worker, Ludwin Velasco, allegedly confessed to using fraudulent ID after being smuggled into the U.S. from Guatemala in 2022 and paying for the crossing.

Several arrested employees admitted to authorities that they had used borrowed or fabricated paperwork from friends or others to secure jobs at various Zipps sites.

17GEN4.com

Immigration attorneys have noted that while the allegations against Zipps may seem shocking, such patterns of workplace document fraud are not uncommon in the industry. The investigation was reportedly tipped off by informants who claimed management was aware of the fraudulent practices. As of January 30, 2026, the case remains ongoing, with potential additional charges against other Zipps management or the company itself still possible.