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Wife of IHOP manager shocked by arrests

Britney Gamboa said she was shocked when her husband, Carlos, was arrested at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning by FBI agents.

TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) – Britney Gamboa said she was shocked when her husband, Carlos, was arrested at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning by FBI agents.

Gamboa is an illegal immigrant, originally from Guatemala, who has been in the United States for 21 years.

Carlos Gamboa, the general manager of the IHOP on Central Avenue in Toledo, has been cooperating with federal agents since Cleveland-area IHOPs were raided, and over the 8 months following the raids.

Carlos was employed at the Central Avenue IHOP when it was raided in September 2011.

"My husband was cooperative, answered all the questions, told them of the people he knew that were working illegally there. They were working illegal immigrants with two different names so they didn't have to pay them overtime," Gamboa explained.

Gamboa says her husband was under pressure to hire the other illegal immigrants:

"He admitted that to them when they were questioning him- he said 'Yes- I did hire the illegal workers but I thought I was going to get fired - the owner is telling me to do this and he signs my paycheck.'"

Gamboa also says this morning's arrest is shocking because she and her husband thought he would get consideration from the FBI for cooperating:

"They said "Oh well, as long as you help, then there won't be any charges and we'll help you get your citizenship.'"

Gamboa also says her husband often met the FBI at Wildwood Metropark in Toledo.

Wednesday's arrests came early, when many of the suspects were at home.

"They came to the door and I answered the door. And I asked - do you have a warrant- and he showed me a warrant on his phone- but they had already started handcuffing them- and we just took them with him," Gamboa said.

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