The owners of an Alabama barbecue restaurant involved in multi-state raids have entered not guilty pleas on charges they systematically hired undocumented immigrants to work in some of their restaurants.

Colt Grill BBQ & Spirits in Foley was one of more than a dozen locations in six counties raided July 15 by multiple federal and local agencies.

Among the Alabama sites targeted by authorities, it was the only one in southwest Alabama: the other restaurants, residences and properties were in Lee, Macon, Autauga, Elmore, and Crenshaw counties.

Colt Grill is based in Arizona, and its four locations there also were raided July 15.

The owners, Brenda and Robert Clouston, were arrested and charged with five immigration-related offences: a pattern and practice of knowingly employing unauthorized aliens; conspiracy to bring illegal aliens into the United States unlawfully; conspiracy to transport illegal aliens; conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens; and conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to unlawfully enter the United States.

Two Colt Grill employees, Rogel-Jaimes and Romero-Molina, were arrested on the same charges.

Prosecutors allege that the four defendants conspired to recruit undocumented immigrants to work at Colt Grill, employed them through a shell company so that the restaurants could dodge reporting requirements, and provided housing and vehicles for them.

The addresses where the workers allegedly were housed are all in Arizona.

Since then, all four defendants have entered pleas of not guilty to all charges, according to court documents. The four have separate legal counsel, and their status varies.

Brenda Clouston was released on her own recognizance after an arraignment on Monday. Efforts to reach her and her attorney have not drawn a response.

Robert Clouston, her husband, remains in custody. He was represented by an attorney from the Federal Public Defender’s Office at his arraignment, but that attorney told the court that a change of representation is expected. A hearing on his detention status has been set for Thursday.

Iris Cristal Romero-Molina has a detention hearing set for Monday, July 28.

Luis Pedro Rogel-Jaimes, a Spanish speaker requiring a translator, has a detention hearing set for Tuesday, July 29.

At least five people identified as material witnesses are being held in federal custody.

A court order says that the “Court finds that it may become impracticable to secure the presence of the witnesses by subpoena in further proceedings because they are not in the United States legally and have no legal residence or employment in this country.” The order says the witnesses “shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity for private consultation with counsel.”

A jury trial for all four defendants has been set for Sept. 2 in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, Ariz.

According to information provided by the Offices of the United States Attorneys, four of the charges each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The fifth charge, pattern and practice of knowingly employing unauthorized aliens, carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a fine of up to $3,000 per unauthorized employee.