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Department of Labor

Worker Fell 80 Feet Inside Jersey Shore Water Tower, Painting Contractor Fined $485K: OSHA Worker Fell 80 Feet Inside Jersey Shore Water Tower, Painting Contractor Fined $485K: OSHA
Worker Fell 80 Feet Inside Jersey Shore Water Tower, Painting Contractor Fined $485K: Osha A painting contractor was facing nearly $500,000 in fines after a worker fell 80 feet to the bottom of an Ocean County water tower without safety gear, officials said. The U.S. Department of Labor cited U.S. Tank Painting for three willful and 19 serious violations, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said in a news release on Wednesday, July 24. The DOL proposed $485,580 in penalties for the Millstone Township company. OSHA said the contractor didn't install the required safety equipment to prevent an employee from falling inside the Bayville wat…
Details Emerge On Ex-Cuomo, Hochul Aide Whose $3.5M Manhasset Home Was Searched By FBI Details Emerge On Ex-Cuomo, Hochul Aide Whose $3.5M Manhasset Home Was Searched By FBI
Details Emerge On Ex-Cuomo, Hochul Aide Whose $3.5M Manhasset Home Was Searched By FBI A former top aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo whose Long Island home was searched by the FBI earlier this week was fired by the state last year after "evidence of misconduct, according to new reports. According to a report by Politico, Linda Sun was terminated by the Department of Labor in 2023 for “misconduct.”  “Immediately upon discovering the evidence of misconduct, the administration referred the matter to law enforcement authorities,” a source told Politico. The 40-year-old Sun's $3.5 million Manhasset home was searched by FBI agents Tuesday morni…
Brazilian Steakhouse On Jersey Shore Owed Workers $84K In Unpaid Overtime Wages, Feds Say Brazilian Steakhouse On Jersey Shore Owed Workers $84K In Unpaid Overtime Wages, Feds Say
Brazilian Steakhouse On Jersey Shore Owed Workers $84K In Unpaid Overtime Wages, Feds Say A Brazilian steakhouse in Belmar was forced to pay nearly $90,000 in back wages and fines for violating federal overtime rules, officials said. Flames Brazilian Steakhouse was ordered to pay more than $84,000 in back wages and damages for 13 workers, the Department of Labor said in a news release on Tuesday, June 18. The restaurant on the corner of 10th Avenue and Main Street also paid $4,459 in penalties. DOL investigators said owner Dariusz Targonski didn't give overtime pay to hourly or non-exempt salaried employees who worked more than 40 hours in a week. "Peop…
Homicide Investigation Leads To Arrest Of CT Restaurant Owner Homicide Investigation Leads To Arrest Of CT Restaurant Owner
Homicide Investigation Leads To Arrest Of CT Restaurant Owner A Connecticut restaurant owner is being held on alleged gun charges in connection with a homicide that occurred outside of the business. New Haven County resident Juan Reyes, age unknown, of West Haven, was arrested on Friday, March 8, for the murder on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, at the Tropical Caribbean Restaurant at 703 Campbell Ave., in West Haven. According to West Haven Police, in the early morning hours of Nov. 26, a man was found shot dead in the parking lot of the restaurant.  During an investigation, several arrest warrants were obtained, including for Reyes. Friday, while …
Pair Of Monroe Massage Parlors Closed For Illicit Activity, Police Say Pair Of Monroe Massage Parlors Closed For Illicit Activity, Police Say
Pair Of Monroe Massage Parlors Closed For Illicit Activity, Police Say Two Fairfield County massage parlors have been closed after police received complaints from residents of alleged illicit activity. The two Monroe businesses, the Crystal Spa, at 500 Monroe Turnpike and the Blue Rose Spa at 115 Main St., were closed on Tuesday, Jan. 23. According to Lt. Stephen Corrone of the Monroe Police, after receiving the complaints, the department contacted the state Department of Labor regarding the unnamed activity. On Tuesday, Monore Police and the Department of Labor officials conducted unannounced compliance inspections of both businesses, Corrone …
Disgraced Owner Of Failed NJ Nursing Home Chain From NY Admits Stiffing IRS Out Of $39M: Feds Disgraced Owner Of Failed NJ Nursing Home Chain From NY Admits Stiffing IRS Out Of $39M: Feds
Disgraced Owner Of Failed NJ Nursing Home Chain From NY Admits Stiffing IRS Out Of $39M: Feds 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A onetime insurance broker from Rockland County who ran a nationwide network of nearly 100 nursing homes into the ground from an office over a Bergen County pizzeria admitted that he purposely shorted the IRS nearly $39M, federal authorities said. Joseph Schwartz, 64, of Suffern, owned Skyline Management Group, which was based in the Wood-Ridge and amassed 95 nursing homes across 11 states. These once included Hudson View Care & Rehab Center in North Bergen, Brookhaven Health Care Center in East Orange and the Voorhees Care & Rehabilitation Center. Over a period of only sev…
Minimum Wage Increase In Westchester: Here's How Much It Will Rise As New Year Begins Minimum Wage Increase In Westchester: Here's How Much It Will Rise As New Year Begins
Minimum Wage Increase In Westchester: Here's How Much It Will Rise As New Year Begins As the New Year draws closer, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is reminding residents that the state's minimum wage will increase as soon as the ball drops.  Beginning on Monday, Jan. 1, the minimum wage in New York City, Westchester County, and Long Island will go up to $ 16 per hour, and $15 per hour for the rest of the state, Hochul reminded residents on Wednesday, Dec. 27.  Earlier Report - Minimum Wage To Go Up In New York: Here's When, How Much Additionally, the minimum wage for home care aides will increase to $18.55 per hour in New York City, Westchester, and Lon…
Sun River Health Hosts Ribbon Cutting At New Rochelle Health Center Sun River Health Hosts Ribbon Cutting At New Rochelle Health Center
Sun River Health Hosts Ribbon Cutting At New Rochelle Health Center Sun River Health held a ribbon cutting ceremony at their new health center known as Sun River Health New Rochelle on Friday, December 8. Congressman Jamaal Bowman, County Legislator George Latimer, City Councilmember Shane Osinloye, Dr. Corey Reynolds, the New Rochelle Superintendent of Schools, and representatives from many New Rochelle community organizations, including the Lexington Center for Recovery, the Mental Health Association, Neighbors Link, the New Rochelle Public Library, the Department of Labor, MVP, Health First, Fidelis, Choice Case Management, and Westchester Jewish…
Minimum Wage To Go Up In Westchester: Here's When, How Much Minimum Wage To Go Up In Westchester: Here's When, How Much
Minimum Wage To Go Up In Westchester: Here's When, How Much To help those struggling with rising costs, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced that the state's minimum wage will be increasing when the new year begins.  Effective on Monday, Jan. 1, the minimum wage in Westchester County, Long Island, and New York City will increase to $16 per hour, and $15 per hour in the rest of the state, Hochul announced on Monday, Dec. 11.  The current minimum wage in Westchester, Long Island, and New York City is $15 per hour, while it is $14.20 in the rest of the state.  According to Hochul, the increases come thanks to an agreement between he…
North Jersey Business Owes Employees $910K: Department of Labor North Jersey Business Owes Employees $910K: Department of Labor
North Jersey Business Owes Employees $910K: Department of Labor A staffing agency in Bergen County has been ordered to pay 289 employees $910,000 in back wages, the Department of Labor announced following a court action. Advantix Logistics in Lyndhurst failed to pay hourly employees overtime wages for working more than 40 hours a week, the Department of Labor said. Employees often worked up to 70 hours a week at a warehouse, loading and unloading freights from containers and pallets, the Department of Labor said. Advantix also failed to keep accurate records of their employees' hours, all in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Department of La…
OSHA Fines Lehigh Firm $125K For Teen's Wood Chipper Death OSHA Fines Lehigh Firm $125K For Teen's Wood Chipper Death
Osha Fines Lehigh Firm $125K For Teen's Wood Chipper Death Federal regulators have cited a Lehigh Valley tree removal company for the 2022 death of a teenage worker who was pulled into a wood chipper.  Isiah Bedocs, a 17-year-old from Coplay, was working for Adam's Tree Service in North Whitehall Township on Aug. 9 when he was fatally wounded, Daily Voice reported.  Now, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the company for 10 "serious" safety violations and is recommending fines totaling $124,987, the agency announced Monday, Feb. 13.  Investigators found that Bedocs was feeding "entangled material" into the wood ch…
Here's When Social Security Recipients Will See Largest Bump In Benefits In 40 Years Here's When Social Security Recipients Will See Largest Bump In Benefits In 40 Years
Here's When Social Security Recipients Will See Largest Bump In Benefits In 40 Years Social Security beneficiaries are about to see their largest increase in benefits in four decades. Starting in 2023, recipients of Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments will see their benefits go up by 8.7 percent, according to the Social Security Administration. Approximately 70 million Americans will benefit from the bump, the agency said, with an average increase of more than $140 per month expected. The increase will follow the agency’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which is required by federal law and based on the Department of Labor’s C…
Feds Fine Construction Company $1.2M In Death Of Worker Killed At Boston Demolition Site Feds Fine Construction Company $1.2M In Death Of Worker Killed At Boston Demolition Site
Feds Fine Construction Company $1.2M In Death Of Worker Killed At Boston Demolition Site Federal regulators blamed a Brockton construction company for the death of a 51-year-old man who died when the Boston Government Center garage collapsed during a demolition project earlier this year. It was his first day on the job.  The Department of Labor announced on Tuesday, Sept. 27, that it had fined JDC Demolition Co. $1.2 million for not properly training its employees and ignoring safety concerns during the project.  Peter Monsini of South Easton died on March 26 when the excavator he was in fell nine stories after the floor buckled beneath him, officials said. More than 100 tons …
Court Orders PA Diner To Pay $1.35 Million In Back Wages To 100+ Workers After Investigation Court Orders PA Diner To Pay $1.35 Million In Back Wages To 100+ Workers After Investigation
Court Orders PA Diner To Pay $1.35 Million In Back Wages To 100+ Workers After Investigation A federal court ordered a Pennsylvania diner to pay $1.35 million in back wages and liquidated damages to more than 100 workers after an investigation, authorities said. An investigation and five-day trial found that the owners of Empire Diner in Lansdowne required their servers to turn over 10 to 15 percent of their total tips received on any given shift to pay the bussers’ wages, the Department of Labor said. On Aug. 18, a US District Court judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ordered Musluoglu Inc., owner Ihsan Gunaydin, and manager Engin Gunaydin to pay $1.35 million…
Former Rockland Owner Of Nursing Homes Charged In $39M Tax Dodge Former Rockland Owner Of Nursing Homes Charged In $39M Tax Dodge
Former Rockland Owner Of Nursing Homes Charged In $39M Tax Dodge An insurance broker from Rockland County who ran a nationwide network of nearly 100 nursing homes from an office over a Bergen County pizzeria ducked nearly $39 million in payroll taxes, a federal indictment unsealed on Monday, Jan. 24 alleges. Joseph Schwartz, age 62, was arrested at his Suffern home  Thursday, Jan. 20.  A federal judge in Newark released him to home confinement hours later, with conditions, pending trial. Then came the announcement on Monday, also out of Newark. Schwartz’s Skyline Healthcare LLC amassed 95 nursing homes in 11 states nationwide in less than two…
Cuomo Declares Nation's First Disaster Emergency Over Gun Violence In New York Cuomo Declares Nation's First Disaster Emergency Over Gun Violence In New York
Cuomo Declares Nation's First Disaster Emergency Over Gun Violence In New York New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a new executive order declaring the nation's first disaster emergency over gun violence following dozens of shootings reported over the Fourth of July holiday. On Tuesday, July 6, Cuomo made the declaration in New York City, noting that the state has gone from one crisis to the next having largely conquered COVID-19. “We went from one epidemic to another epidemic," he said. "We went from COVID to the epidemic of gun violence. More people are dying of gun violence than of COVID.” Cuomo made note that over the Fourth of July weekend, more people died from gu…
Feds: Passaic County Union Plan Admin Charged In Tax Evasion Kickback Scheme Feds: Passaic County Union Plan Admin Charged In Tax Evasion Kickback Scheme
Feds: Passaic County Union Plan Admin Charged In Tax Evasion Kickback Scheme A Passaic County man working as a union health plan administrator is facing federal charges for his role in a kickback tax evasion scheme, authorities said. Jose Santa Maria, aka “Joe,” of North Haledon, served as a plan admin through a health and training fund-related company that provided admin services to a labor union, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Between 2013 and 2019, he failed to report his $750,000 earned from "Company-1" to the IRS, and failed to pay the associated income taxes, court papers say. Santa Maria also paid $50,000 to an unnamed individual in or…
Philadelphia Electrical Contractor Pleads Guilty To Tax Fraud -- Again Philadelphia Electrical Contractor Pleads Guilty To Tax Fraud -- Again
Philadelphia Electrical Contractor Pleads Guilty To Tax Fraud -- Again A Philadelphia based electrical contractor imprisoned for tax fraud in 2007 pleaded guilty Thursday to new charges of tax fraud and theft from employee benefit plans, authorities announced.  Donald Dougherty, 54, who owns Dougherty Electric, Inc. as part of a plea deal agreed to pay $92,913 in taxes due to the Internal Revenue Service, arising from false business deductions for what were actually personal expenditures, First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said. Dougherty also agreed to pay $266,000 in restitution to the International Brother…
Minimum Wage Increase Takes Effect: Here's Who Gets What By Region Minimum Wage Increase Takes Effect: Here's Who Gets What By Region
Minimum Wage Increase Takes Effect: Here's Who Gets What By Region Some employees in New York will see a slight increase in their paychecks in the new year as the minimum hourly wage increases. As scheduled, New York's minimum wage got a bump from $11.80 to $12.50 on Thursday, Dec. 31 for most of the state. The 70-cent an hour raise represents an extra $28 weekly for employees working full-time minimum wage jobs. On Long Island and in Westchester County, the minimum wage rose to $14 an hour, while wages will stay steady in New York City at $15. The minimum wage in both those regions has been steadily on the rise for the past four years. Another minimum wa…
Long Island Chiropractor Charged With Health Care Fraud Long Island Chiropractor Charged With Health Care Fraud
Long Island Chiropractor Charged With Health Care Fraud A Long Island chiropractor was charged in federal court for health care fraud after submitting false claims with the Department of Labor for services that he did not actually render, according to Acting Eastern District of New York U.S. Attorney Seth Ducharme.  Joseph Stephan of Farmingdale, 50, reportedly billed the department's Office of Worker's Compensation Programs for dates where employees covered under the program did not visit him, or for services that they did not receive when they visited him. A complaint against Stephan was unsealed by a federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday…
4 Connecticut Lord & Taylors To Close; 150 People Face Layoffs 4 Connecticut Lord & Taylors To Close; 150 People Face Layoffs
4 Connecticut Lord & Taylors To Close; 150 People Face Layoffs Le Tote the company that purchased retailer Lord & Taylor has announced the closing of four Connecticut stores.* Le Tote is Lord & Taylor's parent company. About 150 Le Tote employees will lose their jobs when four Connecticut Lord & Taylors close, according to four WARN notices the company filed with the state’s Department of Labor. Under the U.S. Working Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), most companies with 100 or more employees must alert the state when they are planning to close or impose mass layoffs.  Layoffs will begin on Dec. 1 and be cond…
COVID-19: Hudson Valley Man Accused Of Stealing Nearly $5M From Pandemic Relief Fund COVID-19: Hudson Valley Man Accused Of Stealing Nearly $5M From Pandemic Relief Fund
Covid-19: Hudson Valley Man Accused Of Stealing Nearly $5M From Pandemic Relief Fund A man from the Hudson Valley allegedly took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to live a lavish lifestyle by allegedly illegally obtaining nearly $5 million in loans meant for struggling businesses. Ulster County resident Jean Lavanture, of Saugerties, also known as Rudy Lavanture, was arrested this week on a bank fraud complaint that alleges he obtained millions in government-backed loans that were earmarked for businesses struggling during the pandemic. Lavanture was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 17 at a new 8.54-acre estate that he allegedly purchased with the illegally obtained funds. It…
North Jersey Union Officer Admits Embezzling From Local North Jersey Union Officer Admits Embezzling From Local
North Jersey Union Officer Admits Embezzling From Local A bus driver who served as finance officer for a North Jersey transportation workers union admitted in federal court Tuesday that he swiped $117,000 of the local’s money. Angel L. Garcia, 57, of Tampa, FL, pleaded guilty by videoconference to embezzling from the operating account of the Amalgamated Transit Workers Union Local 1614 in Sussex County. Garcia was a bus driver who held a part-time position as a financial secretary for five years at Local # 1614, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. “He alone was responsible for maintaining the check book and other financial documents of the unio…
Unemployed NJ Workers Can Soon Claim 13 Extra Weeks Jobless Pay Unemployed NJ Workers Can Soon Claim 13 Extra Weeks Jobless Pay
Unemployed NJ Workers Can Soon Claim 13 Extra Weeks Jobless Pay Thousands of jobless New Jerseyans who exhausted their 26 weeks of unemployment benefits will soon be able to apply for an extra 13 weeks of pay.  The money is being made available under the federal stimulus starting this Sunday, the state Department of Labor announced. The first round of eligible workers will be notified this week, the agency said. Approximately 70,000 New Jersey residents have exhausted their jobless benefits. New Jersey has processed about 760,000 jobless applications, and many residents remain frustrated by delays and long waiting times on Labor Department ph…
COVID-19: 49 New Deaths Reported In CT; Some Towns Already Cancel Memorial Day, July 4th Events COVID-19: 49 New Deaths Reported In CT; Some Towns Already Cancel Memorial Day, July 4th Events
Covid-19: 49 New Deaths Reported In CT; Some Towns Already Cancel Memorial Day, July 4th Events There were 49 deaths in Connecticut related to the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours. That brings the total number of fatalities during the pandemic to 326 in the state, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Wednesday afternoon, April 8. There have now been 1,400 hospitalizations, with 110 more since Tuesday, April 7. Since Friday, March 13,  there have been 302,000 unemployment claims submitted. That's two years of normal claim activity, in less than one month. The Department of Labor has quadrupled the amount of staff processing claims, working overtime and weekends, but the backlog is st…
COVID-19: These Companies Are Hiring In Connecticut COVID-19: These Companies Are Hiring In Connecticut
Covid-19: These Companies Are Hiring In Connecticut With thousands of people out of work amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some employers in Connecticut have stepped up and are looking for new workers. Nationwide, most bars, restaurants and other non-essential businesses have been closed for week due to fears of spreading COVID-19, though many grocery stores have seen an uptick in shoppers as store shelves continue being stripped clean. In Connecticut, the Department of Labor has received hundreds of thousands of unemployment insurance claims since the COVID-19 outbreak began, with even more expected as the pandemic continues. …
COVID19: NYS Labor Department Website Crashes As Unemployment Claims Spike COVID19: NYS Labor Department Website Crashes As Unemployment Claims Spike
COVID19: NYS Labor Department Website Crashes As Unemployment Claims Spike As layoffs, particularly among small businesses, have started amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the economic impact is being felt in states around the region and across the nation. After New York state’s unemployment benefits website repeatedly crashed over the last several days, a system of filing alphabetically by the first letter of last names launched. It was outlined on the Department of Labor's Facebook page, where there have been numerous complaints posted by those having trouble accessing the main website. "The system is overwhelmed and keeps crashing," one comment pos…
New Long Island Sears Closure Announced New Long Island Sears Closure Announced
New Long Island Sears Closure Announced Another Sears store is closing on Long Island, this one being the longstanding location in the Smith Haven Mall. After 50 years, Sears in the mall located in Lake Grove will officially close on Wednesday, May 6, eliminating 77 jobs.  The company filed paperwork with the state’s Department of Labor announcing the closure on Thursday, Feb. 6. The closure leaves only three Sears stores left on Long Island in Massapequa, Valley Stream and Bridgehampton. There has been a rash of closures of Sears and Kmart locations throughout New York following Transformco’s purchase of the ass…
320 EMS Workers Will Lose Their Jobs When Monmouth Ocean Hospital Services Folds 320 EMS Workers Will Lose Their Jobs When Monmouth Ocean Hospital Services Folds
320 EMS Workers Will Lose Their Jobs When Monmouth Ocean Hospital Services Folds A major Emergency Medical Services company in Wall Township will begin shutting down after 42 years of operation on April 1. The shutdown of Monmouth Ocean Hospital Services Corp. (MONOC) affects 320 employees, according to this W.A.R.N. notice issued by the state Department of Labor.  MONOC, a non-profit company and healthcare co-operative, provides ambulance and other services to 13 acute care hospitals in New Jersey. In a Jan. 23 letter to company workers, Jeff Behm, MONOC's president and CEO, said the company was closing due to “a challenging financial environm…
High-Ranking Cuomo Aide Arrested On Assault Charge In Westchester, Reports Say High-Ranking Cuomo Aide Arrested On Assault Charge In Westchester, Reports Say
High-Ranking Cuomo Aide Arrested On Assault Charge In Westchester, Reports Say A high-ranking official in New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration is facing charges of assaulting her partner in Westchester, according to multiple reports. Melissa Quesada, the New York State director of Latino affairs, reportedly allegedly attacked her partner on Sunday, Nov. 3 in her New Rochelle home and she was arrested by police on Thursday, Nov. 21, according to court papers obtained by The New York Post. It is alleged that Quesada left her baby unattended in a bathtub and attacked her then-partner, Adrian Daniel Roman, the father of their child. The pair is now estranged, …
Alert Issued For Area Man Wanted On $27.7K Grand Larceny Charge Alert Issued For Area Man Wanted On $27.7K Grand Larceny Charge
Alert Issued For Area Man Wanted On $27.7K Grand Larceny Charge Have you seen him? New York State Police investigators in the area are seeking the public’s assistance as they attempt to track down a wanted man who was arrested for fourth-degree grand larceny. Police said that Alexander Saldana was arrested following an investigation by the New York Department of Labor that determined he fraudulently collected $27,748 in unemployment insurance. Saldana later failed to return to court and an arrest warrant was issued from the Orange County Court. Investigators described Saldana, 57, as a 5-foot-10 African American man weighing approximately 190 pounds w…