Zipps Sports Grill hiring manager sentenced to 5 months in federal prison for identity fraud

A Zipps Sports Grill hiring manager arrested during sweeping federal raids of the restaurant chain was sentenced Monday to five months in federal prison for identity fraud, according to court records.

Diego Armando Gonzalez-Rosales, 36, gets credit for time served and will also serve one year of supervised release upon his release from prison.

The court suspended the drug testing condition of his release, saying Gonzalez-Rosales is expected to be deported.

Gonzalez-Rosales pleaded guilty in March to one felony count of unlawful transfer, possession or use of a means of identification. In exchange, the original five-count indictment against him was dismissed.

In the plea agreement, Gonzalez-Rosales admitted that he oversaw the kitchen staff at all 14 of the chain’s Valley locations and decided who to hire.

Gonzalez-Rosales admitted that in one 2024 case, he used a photo of another person’s Arizona driver’s license and Social Security card to help hire an unauthorized worker.

The Jan. 26 raids saw dozens of federal agents enter 14 Zipps Sports Grill locations simultaneously across the Valley. Gonzalez-Rosales was among 39 people initially taken into custody as part of the employment investigation.

Three other employees arrested in the raids face charges of falsifying IRS records and identity theft. Those cases are still pending.

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