Four individuals connected to Colt Grill restaurant chain, including its recently opened Foley location, have been federally indicted following a multi-year investigation into labor exploitation and money laundering across Arizona and Alabama.
- Federal agents raided Colt Grill locations in both states Tuesday as part of the probe. The restaurant chain operates five locations—four in Arizona and one in Foley, Alabama.
The Charges
Robert and Brenda Clouston, both 61, of northern Arizona, along with Luis Pedro Rogel-Jaimes, 33, and Iris Romero-Molina, 29 — both Mexican nationals illegally present in the U.S. and residing in Cottonwood — face multiple federal charges:
- Conspiracy to transport illegal aliens
- Conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens
- Conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to unlawfully enter the U.S.
- Pattern and practice of knowingly employing unauthorized aliens
Federal prosecutors allege the defendants created R&R AZ Cleaning, ostensibly a cleaning company that actually functioned as a staffing operation for Colt Grill restaurants. The indictment claims Rogel-Jaimes and Romero-Molina recruited undocumented workers, paying them below minimum wage without overtime compensation while avoiding proper employment taxes.
All four defendants were arrested Tuesday without incident. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, the Justice Department’s nationwide initiative targeting illegal immigration.
