California Labor Investigation Leads to Felony Grand Theft Charges Against Owners of 8 Businesses

The California Labor Commissioner’s Office’s Criminal Investigation Unit partnered with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office two prosecute two Catalina Island business owners for grand theft of labor.

Jack Tucey and Yueh Mei “Nora” Tucey, owners of restaurant and hotel businesses on Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles, were arraigned on felony charges of grand labor and wage theft, conspiracy to commit grand labor theft and unemployment insurance fraud.

The total wages due to at least 18 affected workers is $1,032,684.

This covers lost wages from July 2008 to October 2022. There may be additional workers affected by the wage theft.

An investigation reportedly found the employer engaged in fraudulent payroll schemes over the course of many years to avoid paying their workers the proper minimum wage and overtime requirements.

Workers were required to clock out to avoid recording overtime. The employer did not accurately record the total number of hours employees worked and did not pay employees for all hours worked. Workers had to record their overtime hours separately on paper so that it was not included in the company’s payroll system, according to investigators.

When workers were paid overtime, it was at a reduced rate using aliases rather than their name to hide the overtime hours worked. Employees were required to do preparation work and paperwork off the clock for no pay, according to investigators.

Most of the restaurant workers would work at multiple locations, finishing a shift at one restaurant and then going to a different eatery owned by the Tuceys to work the evening shift.

The Tuceys operated multiple businesses on Catalina Island under the following entities: El Galleon Restaurant Inc., Mi Casita Authentic Mexican Restaurant Inc., Antonio’s Pizzeria & Cabaret Inc., Original Antonio’s Pizzeria Inc., Food Brokers International Inc., Catalina Hotel, Catalina Courtyard Hotel and Original Jack’s Restaurant and Bakery Inc.

Topics California Fraud