ICE raids companies in Colo. and more than a dozen other states

posted by: Sara Gandy

3 years ago

KUSA - 9NEWS has learned the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has conducted a series of raids in the District of Columbia and 17 states, including Colorado.

ICE says Wednesday night hundreds of agents conducted a worksite enforcement operation within the states at more than 60 locations including various restaurants and establishments.

A law enforcement official told the Associated Press the raids took place at restaurants such as House of Blues, Hard Rock Cafe, ESPN Zone, Planet Hollywood and other locations. It was not immediately known which Colorado businesses were effected.

In Colorado, ICE raided the ESPN Zone in Denver and the Dave & Buster's locations in both Denver and Westminster.

Officers arrested 12 people in Colorado. They were from Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala.

ICE also said the criminal investigation targeted Richard M. Rosenbaum, Edward Scott Cunningham and Christina A. Flocken, who ICE says are the top managers of Rosenbaum and Cunningham International.

ICE alleges the company was "blatantly violating immigration and other laws." They face various criminal fraud, immigration and tax charges in the 23-count indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The investigation, led by ICE, began 20 months ago from concerns about cleaning crews at the Grand Traverse Resort in northwestern Michigan.

RCI contracted with the resort between June 1997 and March 2006, according to the indictment. Between 2002 and 2006 alone, Grand Traverse paid RCI over $3 million for grounds and maintenance services, kitchen cleaning and housekeeping duties.

However, RCI failed to pay employment taxes on its nationwide operations - defrauding the government of more than $18 million - and did not require its workers to show proof of legal U.S. residence as required by law, according to the indictment.

Over 200 suspected illegal immigrants were arrested during the raids. They were working as janitors for the Nevada-based company.