Former owner of South Side restaurant goes to prison on federal charges

A federal judge has sentenced the former owner of a Mexican restaurant group, which included a Youngstown eatery, to one year and one day in prison for harboring or concealing illegal immigrants and related charges.

Ramon J. Ornelas, 42, of Norwalk, Ohio, drew the sentence today from U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary, who sits in Toledo.

Ornelas will be notified by the U.S. Marshal’s Service as to when and where he must self-report to federal prison. After prison, Ornelas will be on probation for two years.

Ornelas was the principal owner of Casa Fiesta restaurants in Youngstown, Vermillion, Ashland, Norwalk, Fremont, Oberlin, Oregon and Sandusky when the offenses occurred, the U.S. attorney said.

Ornelas sold the Youngstown restaurant at 914 E. Midlothian Blvd. in December to new owners, who have changed the eatery’s name to Casa Del Patron and who have said they employ only legal workers.