Patrons of a long-time West Plains restaurant were met with a note on the door, expressing gratitude for many years of patronage. The recently thriving El Charro, having abruptly closed their doors, left many with a variety of emotions and reactions, from sadness to frustration. Nearly all customers were left asking why the popular Mexican restaurant would close so suddenly and with little to no explanation.
The note on the door read, “After much thought and consideration, we have decided to close. After 25 years of being in the restaurant industry, many things have changed along the way and we feel that the time is right to end this journey. We cannot thank all of our clients/guests/amigos and family enough for taking this journey with us.
From our days in the beginning on Porter Wagoner to where we are today. We have had the privilege to make friends that have become family, watch your children grow up and create families of their own. We’ve shared in heartbreak, but have also seen our community come together in the time of need. We are PROUD to have been a part of this community for so many years.
From the bottom of our hearts, GRACIAS, GRACIAS, GRACIAS!!!
El Charro Management & Staff”
Communication with El Charro management has not been returned to Ozark Radio News.
On Wednesday, seven defendants, including an owner, president, chief financial officer, and controller of a Joplin, Mo., corporation, pleaded guilty in federal court to their roles in a racketeering conspiracy to transport, hire, and harbor undocumented workers in several Midwestern states. These defendants are among 19 that were charged in a federal racketeering conspiracy to hire undocumented workers in August of 2021. Also among those charged are eight current or former managers of restaurants located in Butler, Springfield, Lebanon, West Plains, Willow Springs and St. Robert in Missouri; and in Overland Park, Great Bend and Augustus in Kansas.
Jose Luis Lopez-Valadez, 41, a naturalized U.S. citizen, of West Plains is scheduled to be in court next month. Lopez-Valadez was the manager of Cantina Bravo in St. Robert and the El Charro Restaurants in West Plains at the time of the August 2021 indictment, but his current involvement with the West Plains El Charro, if any, is unclear.
The federal indictment alleges that 17 of the 19 co-defendants were part of an organized criminal enterprise from July 2003 to Aug. 10, 2021, that smuggled Mexican, Guatemalan, and El Salvadoran nationals who were not authorized to live or work in the United States. Conspirators allegedly harbored them in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Bravo, Doll, Tarin-Martinez and Jose Razo created a network of restaurants operating as LLCs in states throughout the Midwest. Bravo and his co-conspirators allegedly supplied these restaurants with undocumented workers to staff positions at the restaurants. According to the indictment, conspirators did not pay the appropriate state and federal payroll taxes, overtime wages, and worker’s compensation for the unauthorized employees.
In addition to smuggling and harboring undocumented workers, the indictment alleges the racketeering activity included fraud (in connection with identification documents), fraud and misuse of visas and other documents, and money laundering. Members and associates of the criminal enterprise shielded unauthorized employees from detection by immigration authorities by eliminating records of their employment, paying them by personal check and in cash, failing to maintain complete and accurate Forms I-9 and required wage and hour reports for these employees, assisting them with the acquisition of false identification documents (such as Social Security numbers and alien resident documents), and making false statements to immigration authorities and law enforcement officials.
Ozark Radio News spoke with the Mountain Home El Charro location, who stated that they are still open and operating. Eusebio Ramirez-Ceja, 50, a citizen of Mexico residing in Mountain Home, Arkansas, was a manager of several El Charro Restaurants in Arkansas and Missouri, as well as some Playa Azul restaurants in Kansas at the time of the indictment in August 2021.
*This article contains information released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Missouri.
