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U.S. Department of Labor

Workers Who Built Housing for Afghan Refugees at NJ Air Base Will Get $16M In Back Pay: Feds Workers Who Built Housing for Afghan Refugees at NJ Air Base Will Get $16M In Back Pay: Feds
Workers Who Built Housing for Afghan Refugees at NJ Air Base Will Get $16M In Back Pay: Feds Contractors who built temporary housing for Afghan refugees at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst have been ordered to pay nearly $16 million in back pay to more than 2,800 workers, authorities said. The U.S. Department of Labor said the general contractor — Disaster Management Group of Jupiter, Florida — and 61 subcontractors violated federal law. They failed to pay proper salaries and give proper benefits, overtime and sick pay to workers who built housing and coordinated food and medicine for the refugees, the department said. The project involved contractors from 17 states and Puerto…
Family Of Roofer Who Fell From Passaic County Home Gets $75G From Company That Caused His Death Family Of Roofer Who Fell From Passaic County Home Gets $75G From Company That Caused His Death
Family Of Roofer Who Fell From Passaic County Home Gets $75G From Company That Caused His Death UPDATE: The survivors of a worker who fell to his death from a residential roof in Haledon will receive $75,000 after his employer admitted in federal court this week that his Middlesex County construction company failed to provide any fall protection equipment or training. The unidentified worker was installing insulation for a second-floor subroof in August 2019 when he took a step back and fell more than 20 feet, first onto a scaffold and then to a concrete floor below, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. He was later pronounced dead of a head injury. Despite the…
NJ Dairy Queen Operator Violated Child Labor, Wage Regulations: Feds NJ Dairy Queen Operator Violated Child Labor, Wage Regulations: Feds
NJ Dairy Queen Operator Violated Child Labor, Wage Regulations: Feds A New Jersey Dairy Queen franchise owner is facing a blizzard of fines. The U.S. Department of Labor has determined Kostantine Menegatos, who operated four DQs in the Garden State, violated federal child labor and wage regulations, forcing him to pay $14,000 in penalties and more than $9,000 in back wages. Menegatos failed to pay one employee minimum wage and did not pay 14 workers time and a half overtime premium for working more than 40 hours in a work week, the DOL said.  The franchise owner also employed 15-year-olds more than three hours on school days, more than 18 hours a week …
3rd Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, Cops Plea 3rd Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, Cops Plea
3rd Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, Cops Plea UPDATE: A third member of a burglary ring that targeted Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware has pleaded guilty, authorities confirmed. Kevin Jackson, 57, of Rahway, was part of a second-story crew that the FBI said worked from a hit list of dozens of homes in four states based on “stereotype and opportunity." One of Jackson's associates told detectives that Asians were targeted “because it was believed that the victims kept large sums of currency and jewelry in their residences,” an FBI complaint says. Notes found in the defendants’ cars …
Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, DE Cops Plea Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, DE Cops Plea
Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, DE Cops Plea UPDATE: A burglar from a crew that targeted Asian and Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware took a deal from the government rather than risk the outcome of a trial, federal authorities said. James Hurt, 47, of New York, was part of a second-story outfit that the FBI said worked from a hit list of dozens of homes in four states based on “stereotype and opportunity." One of Hurt's associates told detectives that Asians were targeted “because it was believed that the victims kept large sums of currency and jewelry in their residences,” an FBI c…
Burglar With Hit List Of Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, DE Gets 50 Months In Federal Prison Burglar With Hit List Of Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, DE Gets 50 Months In Federal Prison
Burglar With Hit List Of Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, DE Gets 50 Months In Federal Prison UPDATE: A member of a second-story crew who targeted Asian and Asian-American homeowners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware for burglaries was sentenced to a plea-bargained four years and two months in federal prison, authorities said. Randi Barr, 42, of Union County, NJ, was part of a group that worked from a hit list of dozens of homes based on “stereotype and opportunity,” federal authorities said. Local, state and federal law enforcement authorities who teamed up to smash the ring found notes in the defendants’ cars that had the home addresses of individuals of Asian des…
'Gyro King' Of North Jersey Seized By Federal Marshals In Labor Department Dispute 'Gyro King' Of North Jersey Seized By Federal Marshals In Labor Department Dispute
'Gyro King' Of North Jersey Seized By Federal Marshals In Labor Department Dispute The operator of four North Jersey restaurants was seized by federal Marshals on Thursday for defying several court orders that he provide information that the U.S. Department of Labor has repeatedly failed to get from him, authorities said. Samad Uddin -- also known as Saman Khan -- owns Wyckoff-based Manhattan Halal Gyro King, which was incorporated four years ago and offers dine-in, delivery and catering services at "Gyro King" restaurants in Elmwood Park, Teaneck and two in Paterson. The Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division had requested information from Uddin as part of a complianc…
$2 Million Fine For NJ's 'Most Flagrant' OSHA Violator Upheld By Judge $2 Million Fine For NJ's 'Most Flagrant' OSHA Violator Upheld By Judge
$2 Million Fine For NJ's 'Most Flagrant' Osha Violator Upheld By Judge A Bergen County framing contractor dubbed New Jersey’s "most flagrant violator" of federal workplace safety laws the past decade must pay $2 million in back fines to the government, an administrative law judge has ruled. Juan Quevedo-Garcia, 42, of Palisades Park "deliberately failed to pay the fines and displayed a total disregard for the safety of his workers and for the law," Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker said. In doing so, he "continually put workers at risk of serious injuries or worse" at four different job sites in Bergen County, a federa…
Feds: Sussex Man Admits Spending $5.6M COVID Relief Money On Stock Market, Luxury Vehicle, More Feds: Sussex Man Admits Spending $5.6M COVID Relief Money On Stock Market, Luxury Vehicle, More
Feds: Sussex Man Admits Spending $5.6M COVID Relief Money On Stock Market, Luxury Vehicle, More A Sussex County man who was seized by federal agents as he tried to board a flight to Pakistan admitted fraudulently collecting $5.6 million in federal COVID-19 pandemic business loans that he put to personal use, authorities said. Azhar Sarwar Rana, 30, of Newton, used the money -- designed to keep struggling small businesses afloat during the pandemic – to millions in the stock market, make a payment to a luxury car dealership and send hundreds of thousands of dollars to accounts in Pakistan, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Rana submitted an application for a stimulus loan und…
Jersey Shore Company Faces $13.7K OSHA Fine After Employed Couple's COVID Death, Agency Says Jersey Shore Company Faces $13.7K OSHA Fine After Employed Couple's COVID Death, Agency Says
Jersey Shore Company Faces $13.7K Osha Fine After Employed Couple's COVID Death, Agency Says The US Department of Labor says it may fine a Central Jersey company up to $13,653 for coronavirus violations in its workplace. On Tuesday, the labor department's Occupational Health and Safety Administration cited a pharmaceutical and, biotech manufacturer from Eatontown.  The company failed to protect dozens of employees from COVID-19 at its  Monmouth County facility, OSHA said in a news statement. A husband and his wife died after contracting the virus last fall,  OSHA said.  At least two other workers were hospitalized and at least 30 workers tested positive for COVID, the federal ag…
OSHA: NJ Contractor Admits Guilt In Death Of Worker Who Fell From Roof OSHA: NJ Contractor Admits Guilt In Death Of Worker Who Fell From Roof
Osha: NJ Contractor Admits Guilt In Death Of Worker Who Fell From Roof A contactor that had previously been cited by OSHA for failing to protect its employees from falls admitted its role in the death of a worker who plunged from a roof during a job in Fair Lawn, federal authorities said. Trustworthy Roofing and Siding of Newark, through its owner, pleaded guilty Thursday before a magistrate judge to “willfully violating OSHA standards by failing to provide fall protection to employees engaged in the construction of a residential home,” Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. By doing so, he admitted, the company “caused the death of an employee,” she said…
Ex-Jersey City School Board Prez, Jersey Shore Lawyer Charged In $113,000 Embezzlement Schemes Ex-Jersey City School Board Prez, Jersey Shore Lawyer Charged In $113,000 Embezzlement Schemes
Ex-Jersey City School Board Prez, Jersey Shore Lawyer Charged In $113,000 Embezzlement Schemes A former Jersey City school board president pulled off a series of embezzlement schemes that netted more than $110,000 with the help of a Jersey Shore attorney, federal authorities said. Sudhan M. Thomas, 45, had previously been the acting executive director of the Jersey City Employment and Training Program (JCETP), which “received substantial amounts of funding from federal grants from the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Thomas -- known as "Tommy" -- paid personal debts and expenses with $45,000 that …
Bergen Doc, 71, Admits Role In Multi-Million-Dollar Postal Workers Comp Scheme Bergen Doc, 71, Admits Role In Multi-Million-Dollar Postal Workers Comp Scheme
Bergen Doc, 71, Admits Role In Multi-Million-Dollar Postal Workers Comp Scheme A Wallington doctor admitted that he participated in a scheme with a pair of Fair Lawn pharmacy owners to con federal workers comp programs out of millions of dollars in exchange for a rent-free office. Now-former postal workers came from as far as Florida to visit Dr. Mark Filippone, 71, who prescribed expensive but medically unnecessary pain creams and submitted bogus reports for phantom injuries the patients purportedly suffered on the job, federal authorities said. Filippone, a licensed physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, steered the prescriptions to Jiffy Scripts pharmacy …
COVID-19: More Than Dozen NJ Hospitals, Nursing Homes Cited For Violations COVID-19: More Than Dozen NJ Hospitals, Nursing Homes Cited For Violations
Covid-19: More Than Dozen NJ Hospitals, Nursing Homes Cited For Violations More than a dozen New Jersey hospitals and nursing homes were issued citations from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for violations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 14 New Jersey facilities are among 37 ticketed nationwide, resulting in proposed penalties totaling $484,069.   New Jersey had more hospitals cited than any other state, totaling $252,150. Hospitals and nursing homes issued violations and their penalties include: Valley Hospital Inc., Ridgewood, $8,675 Valley Physician Services Inc., Waldwick, $…
Feds: NJ Firm Pays $345G For Short-Changing Foreign Nationals In Trump-Opposed Visa Program Feds: NJ Firm Pays $345G For Short-Changing Foreign Nationals In Trump-Opposed Visa Program
Feds: NJ Firm Pays $345G For Short-Changing Foreign Nationals In Trump-Opposed Visa Program A Middlesex County staffing firm has agreed to pony up $345,000 to settle federal allegations that it underpaid highly-skilled foreign nationals who were brought to the U.S. to work under a special visa program currently under fire from the Trump Administration. Edison-based Savantis Solutions didn’t admit or deny the Justice Department’s allegations, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Craig Carpenito said. Instead, it agreed to pay back wages and interest to current and former company employees who entered the United States on H-1B visas. Although federal authorities didn’t specify their nation…
2 New Jersey Health Facilities Cited For Failing To Protect Employees During COVID-19 Pandemic 2 New Jersey Health Facilities Cited For Failing To Protect Employees During COVID-19 Pandemic
2 New Jersey Health Facilities Cited For Failing To Protect Employees During Covid-19 Pandemic A pair of New Jersey hospitals were issued citations by the U.S. Labor Department for failing to protect workers from COVID-19. CarePlus Bergen Inc., and Hackensack Meridian Health Residential Care Inc., were each slapped with citations from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). CarePlus is accused of violating respiratory standards at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, while Hackensack Meridian failed to provide respirators to resident-care employees at its North Bergen facility, OSHA announced Friday. A New Brid…
Feds: NJ Postal Worker Admits $687,000 Slip And Fall Scam Feds: NJ Postal Worker Admits $687,000 Slip And Fall Scam
Feds: NJ Postal Worker Admits $687,000 Slip And Fall Scam A former U.S. Postal Service worker from Essex County admitted Monday that she pocketed unreported income -- and traveled to France and Africa -- while collecting $686,588 in workers compensation payments for an on-the-job slip and fall that she claimed disabled her, federal authorities said. Janeide Chillis, 53, of Irvington, pleaded guilty during a teleconference in exchange for leniency at a scheduled Sept. 10 sentencing on fraud and making false statements charges. Chillis began receiving workers compensation benefits from the U.S. Department of Labor after reporting that she'd been inj…
Workless NJ: Ex-Bakery Manager Among Thousands Of Unemployed Wondering 'When?' Workless NJ: Ex-Bakery Manager Among Thousands Of Unemployed Wondering 'When?'
Workless NJ: Ex-Bakery Manager Among Thousands Of Unemployed Wondering 'When?' Every morning, Jenn Polizzano-Demaria of Hawthorne wakes up and hopes for answers. Formerly the director of operations for Mr. Cupcakes, Demaria applied for unemployment benefits with the state's labor department late last month.  Nearly four weeks later, she doesn't know if she's been approved -- and couldn't begin to guess when she'll find out. She's not alone. New Jersey has paid about $1 billion in unemployment benefits since the COVID-19 outbreak began in March, the NJ Department of Labor and Worksforce said Thursday.  The payments went to some 556,000 residents -- a 560% increase …