The co-owner of the controversial Amy's Baking Company is facing deportation charges. Samy Bouzaglo, who owns the Arizona restaurant with wife Amy, is the subject of a removal case that is unrelated to their disastrous appearance on the U.S. programme "Kitchen Nightmares."

Salomon Bouzaglo is an Israeli citizen born in Morocco. He immigrated to the U.S. 13 years ago. And while he has been generally trouble-free since then, he had served time in prison before relocating to the country.

His immigration case was opened two years ago, with Scottsdale immigration lawyer David Asser handling the case to revoke his residency status.

Asser spoke to AZ Central hours before the restaurant began their "grand re-opening week" on Tuesday, saying that Samy's immigration suit has nothing to do with the couple's appearance on "Kitchen Nightmares."

It's unclear why the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement wants to deport Samy, who attended a deportation hearing in the immigration court Monday. However, the paper learned that it might be because he did not disclose his past in his immigration petition.

His past includes his criminal history, threats, extortion, and involvement with drug distribution. He is also banned to enter France and Germany.

Samy isn't the only one with a criminal past. Amy, who married him in 2004, has served time in federal prison. Real name Amanda Patricia Bossingham, she submitted an application for a line of credit with a bank using another person's social security number in 2001. She was charged with a Class D felony.

AZ Central added that she faced "four judgments in Colorado in 1998 and 1999 totalling about $14,000." In 2000, she was sued for $3,229 in Arizona, which appeared to have come from unpaid debts that were turned over to collection agencies.

Meanwhile, their "grand re-opening week" opened to little fanfare. Despite the huge publicity it generated, the event appeared to be uneventful, with the more people gawking from the outside and the media banned from the premises. People who came to eat inside generally have favourable experience, which was, ironically, quite disappointing for them since they were expecting the Bouzaglos to curse, yell, or turn them away, just as the couple did in celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's reality show.

Last week, they announced that they were going to hold a press conference before the restaurant's re-launch, but opted to cancel it after lawyers for the U.S. reality programme issued them a letter, stating that they have non-disclosure agreement with the show. If they violate their contract, they will be liable to pay $100,000.