Robert and Brenda Clouston plead guilty to federal immigration charges

Robert and Brenda Clouston, owners of the now-closed Colt Grill BBQ & Spirits restaurants, have pleaded guilty in a Phoenix federal court to charges involving the employment and harboring of undocumented immigrants. The legal proceedings follow a three-year federal labor exploitation investigation.

Robert Clouston pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to harbor undocumented immigrants and a misdemeanor charge of a pattern and practice of knowingly employing unauthorized immigrants. He faces a potential sentence of up to ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and additional fines of up to $3,000 for every unauthorized immigrant.

Brenda Clouston pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of knowingly hiring unauthorized immigrants, which carries a maximum fine of $3,000 per unauthorized worker. The investigation included simultaneous raids by Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement at restaurant locations in Arizona and Alabama in July 2025, resulting in 30 undocumented workers being slated for deportation. Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 6.