Redondo Beach’s Chez Melange raided by CHP, state tax agency; chef suffers heart attack
Chez Melange Chef Robert Bell and co-owner and operator Michael Franks. Photo Chez Melange, the celebrated Redondo Beach restaurant, was raided last Thursday by officers from the California State Highway Patrol in connection with an investigation of possible tax fraud being conducted by the California State Board of Equalization. The homes of both owners, Robert Bell and Michael Franks, were also raided. According to friends of the restaurateurs, Bell suffered a heart attack when several armed men wearing black uniforms appeared at his Palos Verdes Estates home. Bell later underwent open heart surgery at a local hospital. CHP confirmed that officers assisted the SBE, but referred questions regarding the specifics of the operation to the state board. “We served a search warrant on behalf of the State Board of Equalization in regards to tax fraud,” said CHP Officer Juan Galvan. Edward Robinson, a lawyer representing Franks, said that despite the dramatic circumstances of the raid, he expects the matter to be resolved. “Law enforcement will use whatever tools they can and should use,” Robinson said. “I don’t think they needed to execute a search warrant, but this issue is likely to…
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