The owners of 3 Imperial Valley taco shops have been charged with fraud.

The four are alleged to have received in excess of $500,000 of Paycheck Protection Program loans issued during the COVID-19 pandemic and misappropriating the funds. Samuel Vega, Annmarie Mendibles, Carlos Contreras and Juan Diego Tom are owners of the Las Palmitas Taco Shops in Imperial County. A complaint charging the four has been filed in Imperial County Superior Court by Imperial County District Attorney George Marquez. The state charges are for Felony Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Fraud. The FBI Imperial County Resident Agency along with the Imperial County Sheriff's Office, El Centro Police Department and Imperial County District Attorney's Office cooperated in the investigation of the case. The Paycheck Protection Program was devised to assist businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. When businesses adhered to the government restrictions the loans could be forgiven.