Overview
- HSI and IRS‑CI executed federal search warrants on Jan. 26 at 14 Zipps locations and affiliated Goldie’s in the Phoenix area after a yearlong investigation.
- Hiring manager Diego Gonzalez‑Rosales, 36, was charged with aggravated identity theft, a pattern of knowingly employing unauthorized workers, false I‑9 attestations, and transferring identification without authority.
- Three Zipps employees were separately charged for falsely claiming U.S. citizenship on Form I‑9 and using fake identification and Social Security numbers.
- Court filings describe a tip in February 2025 and subsequent reviews of company I‑9s and Arizona wage reports that flagged 76 workers with multiple concurrent employers and wage anomalies consistent with identity fraud.
- Officials say 39 individuals working at Zipps were taken into custody; two protesters at a Scottsdale site now face felony assault charges, some detainees report being held at Eloy Detention Center, and Zipps says it is cooperating with no charges announced against the owner.