On July 18, 2025, Cesar Campos-Reyes, a 52-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Auburn, Alabama, appeared in federal court after his arrest earlier in the week. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson.
Campos-Reyes faces charges including four counts of bank fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering related to alleged federal program fraud. Authorities executed search warrants at multiple properties linked to him on July 15, covering 14 locations across six counties in Alabama. Eight of these locations were restaurants.
During the hearing, Campos-Reyes pleaded not guilty. A trial date is set for November 3, 2025, with a detention hearing scheduled for July 23 to decide if he will remain in custody until the trial. If convicted on all charges, he could face up to 30 years in prison and financial penalties.
Additionally, three Mexican nationals—Luis Miguel Campos-Reyes, Isaac Fernandez-Lopez, and Marco Antonio Guzman—were arrested during the enforcement actions. Luis Campos-Reyes and Fernandez-Lopez are charged with harboring and unlawfully employing aliens while Guzman faces charges for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
The investigation leading to these charges was conducted by multiple agencies including the FBI, DEA, HSI, ALEA with support from ICE and other local law enforcement bodies.
Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle R. Turner and John J. Geer III are prosecuting the case.
