El Balazo Owners Plead Guilty

Bay City News Service

A Pleasanton couple has pleaded guilty in federal court to immigration, social security and tax violations related to the operation of their restaurant chain El Balazo, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Marino Sandoval, 58, and his wife Nicole Sandoval, 50, were
charged in November 2010 with harboring and employing illegal immigrants, knowingly misusing employee's social security numbers and tax fraud.

In May 2008, federal immigration agents raided several El Balazo
taquerias and determined that the couple was employing 63 illegal immigrants.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Marino Salazar later
re-hired at least 10 of the illegal employees after receiving written
notification from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security investigators informing him of the employees' identities.

The couple owned and operated the restaurants with Marino
Sandoval's brother, Francisco Sandoval, who pleaded guilty to tax charges in August 2010.

Francisco Sandoval, 55, of Alameda, was sentenced in December to
three years' probation and ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution to the
Internal Revenue Service.

Marino and Nicole Sandoval entered their pleas on Wednesday. They are scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 14.