The investigation began in August of 2013, when the victim’s mother – a local resident – was denied benefits, including food stamps, by the Arizona Department of Economic Security as she was told that her household income was too great to qualify for them. The income examined was that of Gonzalez-Rojo. Gonzalez-Rojo was working under the victim’s name at the Chili’s at 6648 East McKellips Road in Mesa.
Additional arrests were made by Criminal Employment Unit detectives of two employees at the Arizona Shower Door location 2801 W. Indian School Road in Phoenix. These arrests follow a four-month investigation that revealed the Social Security numbers used by the suspects did not match their names.
The suspects taken into custody at Arizona Shower Door are Osiel Betran Barraza, age 29, and Gloria Munoz Neri, age 43.
“I will continue to investigate workplace ID theft, where employers continue to hire people with false ID’s,” said Sheriff Joe Arpaio. “ID Theft continues to be a serious problem, not only in Maricopa County but across the nation.”
These investigations represent the 76th and 77th criminal employment operations conducted by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
All three suspects arrested have been booked into the Fourth Avenue Jail on charges related to identity theft and forgery, class 4 felonies.