Former hiring manager at Zipps sentenced in federal court

yahoo.com · By Ashley Gardner · 2026-06-03T23:22:23Z

A Zipps Sports Grill hiring manager who was charged during the January HSI raids of the 14 locations across the Valley was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to one charge of unlawful transfer or possession of a means of identification in federal court in March. RELATED: Zipps Sports Grill hiring manager accused of identity theft takes plea dealAccording to court documents, Diego Gonzalez-Rosales, 36, was sentenced to five months in prison with credit for time served. The United States Attorney's Office said Gonzalez-Rosales, who is living in the US illegally, allegedly recruited and hired employees lacking legal status in the US, helping those he hired use fraudulent documents in the process. Gonzalez-Rosales was one of 39 people arrested during the Zipps raids on Jan. 26. Neither the ownership nor the entity of Zipps was arrested or facing charges related to the investigation. According to prosecutors, Gonzales-Rosales is an undocumented immigrant who has worked at Zipps since 2006. Over the past year, investigators said he recruited dozens of other undocumented workers to work at the restaurants.In some cases, those workers allegedly used fraudulent identification cards and Social Security numbers to obtain employment. Officials said the documents were sometimes able to pass through the federal government's employment verification system, known as E-Verify.Investigators found 76 employees who had between three and 42 active employers listed under their identities—something prosecutors say is a strong indicator of aggravated identity theft.RELATED: Records: Zipps manager told HSI he knew workers used 'fake' identitiesRELATED: More than 35 arrests announced following HSI raids at Zipps locations in ArizonaWatch the 12News Streaming App for free You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere, thanks to the 12News streaming app! The free 12News streaming app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. 12News streaming showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives. Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX." Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News streaming app to add to your account, or have the 12News streaming app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.