Restaurateur whose business was raided by sheriff gets $5M

By JACQUES BILLEAUD
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Maricopa County officials approved a settlement with an Arizona restaurant owner who claimed then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office had defamed him and violated his rights about seven years ago when investigating whether employees at his restaurants used fraudulent IDs to get jobs. The $5 million settlement with Uncle Sam’s owner Bret Frimmel came weeks after officials signed off on a separate $400,000 settlement to resolve similar claims brought by Uncle Sam’s manager Lisa Norton. Officials approved $3.1 million of Frimmel’s settlement. The remaining $1.9 million in his settlement is being covered by an insurer. Frimmel and Norton were arrested on employment-related identity theft charges that were later dismissed.