Contractor Pleads Guilty to Underpaying Workers at Nassau Courthouse

A Queens contractor has pled guilty to paying workers below-minimum wage for work painting the interior of the .

According to Kathleen Rice, LaGuardia Construction, Inc. allegedly filed fraudulent papers concealing the wages for workers, who were paid a weekly salary far below the state minimum rate. The work was done between September and October 2010.

Rice said that LaGuardia Construction was hired by the Office of General Services to paint the interior of the Nassau County Courthouse in Mineola.

The violations were discovered after investigators from the District Attorney’s Labor Unit questioned a group of painters while they worked inside the courthouse about the conditions of their employment. Investigators also discovered the company filed fake payroll records in an attempt to cover up the underpayment.

“The fact that this company thought they could cheat their own employees while literally working under the nose of the DA’s Office shows a complete disregard for the law,” Rice said in a statement. “Labor regulations are in place to protect workers, and my office’s Labor Unit is committed to ensuring that each worker gets every penny that they have coming to them.”

Under the prevailing wage, painters working seven hours should earn about $450 per day. According to investigators, one painter said he was earned $596 per week. LaGuardia has since paid eight employees a total of $4,076 in back wages.

The Woodside, Queens-based company also pled guilty to Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree and was fined $1,000. The contractor as well as a related company doing business under the name of SNEEM, are now barred from engaging in public construction for 5 years.