New jersey contractor pleads guilty to wage theft in suffolk county public works project — Judge using gavel in courtroom - File Photo.

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY – A New Jersey contractor has pleaded guilty to failing to pay proper wages and benefits to employees working on a public school construction project, underpaying workers by nearly $100,000, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced Monday.

Geraldo DeAlmeida, 57, of South River, NJ, and his company, R&L Concrete, Inc., pleaded guilty to Willful Failure to Pay the Prevailing Wage and Supplement after prosecutors uncovered a scheme in which DeAlmeida misclassified workers on payroll and paid them far below the legally required rates. As part of the plea agreement, DeAlmeida and his corporation will pay back $99,671 in withheld wages to five employees.

The charges stem from DeAlmeida’s role as a subcontractor on a public works project at the Longwood Central School District between November 25, 2019, and April 10, 2020. Prosecutors said DeAlmeida deliberately misclassified workers on certified payroll documents to avoid paying higher wage rates. Some employees entitled to between $68 and $198 per hour were paid as little as $22 to $25 per hour. One worker was left off the payroll entirely.

R&L Concrete, Inc. pleaded guilty to a Class E felony, while DeAlmeida pleaded guilty to a Class A misdemeanor. The pleas were entered before Acting County Court Judge Edward J. Hennessey.

Due to the felony conviction, R&L Concrete, Inc. is now barred by the New York State Department of Labor from bidding on or performing public works projects in the state for five years.

In addition to the criminal case, DeAlmeida and R&L Concrete also reached a related settlement with the NYS Department of Labor, in which they admitted to willfully underpaying workers and agreed to further restitution.

“This conviction reaffirms my commitment to protecting workers’ rights by combatting wage theft,” said District Attorney Tierney. “It speaks to our dedication to the fight against anyone who would fraudulently and illegally fail to pay employees for their honest labor in Suffolk County.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Adriana Noyola of the Financial Crimes Bureau. The investigation was conducted by Suffolk County DA Detective Investigators and the New York State Department of Labor.

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