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Contractor Hall of Shame
The following contractors have been cited/debarred or required to pay settlements by the Attorney General’s office for violating the state’s wage and hour laws. The FFCM was involved in each case, helping construction workers file claims and get back the money they were owed.
AG Asbestos Inc. of Lawrence MA and its owner, Regina Guzman of Methuen, MA, were each indicted on six felony charges, including workers’ compensation fraud, larceny by false pretenses and unemployment tax evasion. Guzman and the company allegedly underreported the company’s payroll by approximately $1.3 million to both its workers’ compensation insurer and to the Division of Unemployment Assistance . The company has also been accused of directing employees to cash their paychecks for a fee at a Lawrence liquor store. AG Asbestos then bought back the paychecks for 102% of their value.
Reliable Window & Siding Inc. of Canton, MA and its owner, Albert Distefano, Jr., must pay $95,346 in back wages and $5,000 in civil penalties after failing to pay prevailing wages to more than 50 employees who worked on the Edgewater Apartments Pynchon II Rehabilitation & County Lane Estates Improvement Work project in Springfield, MA. Workers on the project notified the FFCM that employees of subcontractors were not receiving the prevailing wage.
Tornare Construction Corp. of Watertown, MA and its owner, James DiStefano, must pay eight employees $46,655.38 in back wages due to a missed step increase. The company was also fined $9,530 in civil penalties for failing to submit accurate certified payroll records for worked performed on the Melrose Pump Station public works project. The AG’s office determined that the certified payroll records Tornare had submitted to the City of Melrose did not accurately reflect what the eight employees were really being paid.
Premier Caulking was issued a civil citation in the amount of $4,000 for failure to pay prevailing wages to workers on the Chelsea Soldier’s Home public works project. Company and its owner have been debarred from November 8, 2007 through July 7, 2008
Patriots Environmental Corp. has been ordered to pay a total of $20,769 in restitution and penalties after failing to pay prevailing wages for work performed on the Auburn High School Parking Lot Demolition Project.
Vicheth Enterprise Inc. of Lowell, MA must pay a total of $19,414 in back wages and penalties after failing to pay prevailing wages for work performed on the Medfield Middle and High Schools. Between April 2004 and August 2004, the company underpaid 16 workers.
Barille Corporation of Marlboro, MA and its owner, Anthony R. Barrile, must pay a total of $14,669.67 in civil penalties and back wages after failing to pay prevailing wages to six employees who worked on several Massachusetts public works projects between 2004 and 2005. The company also failed to submit true and accurate certified payroll records for work performed on a number of projects including the Assabet River Rail Trail.
P.A. Landers has agreed to pay a total of $10,170.73 to 17 laborers who were employed on the Abington Route 18 project. The FFCM became aware, after reviewing certified payrolls, that the contractor had been paying a lower rate than the law requires and transmitted the case to the AG’s office. The case was settled; no citation was issued.
Veterans Scaffold Services, Inc. of Blackstone, MA and its president, Kenneth G. Schmitt, must pay $8,989.30 ($1,150 in civil penalty and $7,839.39 in restitution) after failing to pay prevailing wages for work performed on the Mount Wachusett Community College Library Renovations public works project in Gardner, MA.
Precision Door & Window Inc. of Stoughton, MA and its owner, Albert Distefano, have been ordered to pay a total of $7,395.90. The company underpaid seven laborers who worked on the Watertown Housing Authority public works project between June 2006 and September 2006. A worker from the company alerted the FFCM last spring that all workers on the job were being classified as laborers regardless of their trade.
Vegetation Control Service Inc. of Athol, MA and its owner, Laurey Kenerson, were ordered to pay a total of $7,190.64 in restitution and civil penalties for failure to make timely payment of wages to workers employed on various Massachusetts Highway Department public works projects. The company also received a civil citation in the amount of $500 for failure to submit certified payroll records for the projects. FFCM monitors had tried repeatedly to inspect the company’s payroll records and were finally forced to notify the AG.
Green Acres Landscape and Construction Co. of Lakeville, MA was issued a civil citation in the amount of $3,544.47 for failure to pay prevailing wages for work performed on the Belmont Highland Meadow Cemetery public works project.
Bortolotti Construction of Marston Mills, MA must pay $5,311 after failing to pay the prevailing wage to six workers on the Wannacomet Water Main Replacement project in Nantucket, MA.
Arena’s Fencing Inc. of Springfield, MA and its owner, Mark Arena, must pay $3,715.41 for failing to pay overtime rate to employees who worked on the Park & Athletic Fields Site public works project in Agawam, MA. The total includes a $780 civil penalty and $2,935.41 in restitution.
Fine Steel, Inc. and its owner, Mathew Fine, were issued civil citations for intentional failure to pay prevailing wages and intentional failure to furnish records for inspection in the amount of $3,570.52 while working on the Wastewater Treatment Facility public works project in Lee, MA.
D’Agostino Associates of Newton, MA was issued a civil citation in the amount of $3,155.40 for failing to pay prevailing wages for work performed on the Police Station in Dennis, MA.
Paul J. Rogan Co. Inc. of Braintree, MA and its owner, Paul J. Rogan, must pay $1,757.98 ($750 in civil penalty and $1,007.98 in restitution) for failure to pay prevailing wages for work performed on the Police Area-1 Station public works project in Boston MA.
Nial Construction of Kittery, ME paid $1,632 in back wages and penalties after failing to pay prevailing wages for work performed on the North Reading Police Department.
Waterman Excavating Inc. of Cheshire, MA must pay a civil citation in the amount of $2,608.56 for failure to pay prevailing wages for work performed on the Williamstown Water Treatment Plant project.
The following contractors were cited by the Attorney General’s office for various payroll records violations while employed on public works projects:
Suburban Middlesex Insulation inc. of Canton, MA must pay a civil citation in the amount of $1,500 for failure to furnish certified payroll records for inspection while working on the Greenfield Community College Demolition & Asbestos Abatement project.
Guenther Construction, LLC of Bristol, CT must pay a civil citation in the amount of $200 for failure to submit true and accurate certified payroll records for work performed on the Easton Middle School project.
General Excavating Co. Inc. of Framingham, MA and its owner, Phillip George, were issued a civil citation in the amount of $500 for failure to submit true and accurate certified payroll records while working on the Fire Station project in Ayer, MA.
Attention public construction contractors working on projects in Massachusetts. State law now requires that you submit photocopies of apprentice IDs to the appropriate awarding authorities. Failure to do so could result in a citation by the Attorney General’s office.
Brite-Lite Electrical Co. & LeVangie Electric were issued civil citations totaling $1,500 for failing to submit photocopies of apprentice IDs to the awarding authorities for work performed on the Taunton Elizabeth Pole School project and the Police Station project in Dennis, MA.
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