QUEENS, N.Y. — A Queens cleaning company owner received five years’ probation after repaying more than $28,000 to 30 workers he failed to pay, prosecutors announced, closing a wage theft case that spanned nearly two years.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Christian Perez, 40, and his wife withheld wages and reimbursements from employees across two cleaning businesses they operated, ultimately forcing restitution as part of the sentencing.
Perez pleaded guilty in February to scheme to defraud, grand larceny, and labor law violations before Queens Supreme Court Justice Peter Vallone Jr., who imposed probation along with full repayment totaling $28,277.91.
Workers tracked, but not paid
Prosecutors said Perez controlled Cleaning Pass LLC and Cleaning Pass Set It and Forget It LLC, overseeing hiring, payroll, and banking operations, while his wife, Ines Perez Miranda, 42, supervised workers on job sites.
Employees were recruited with promises of payment within seven days and reimbursement for cleaning supplies. They were required to log their work hours through mobile applications and seek permission before leaving job locations.
Despite those systems tracking time and assignments, authorities said workers often went unpaid.
According to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, the couple used multiple tactics to avoid paying wages, including issuing checks with future dates, providing checks tied to insufficient funds, or instructing workers to hold checks without cashing them.
Pattern of unpaid wages and ignored requests
In some cases, employees were told to leave job sites without any compensation. Workers also reported not being reimbursed for supplies they purchased out of pocket.
Between September 2023 and April 2025, many of the affected employees repeatedly contacted Perez and Perez Miranda through text and video messages seeking overdue wages and reimbursements, prosecutors said.
—
Key Points
• 30 workers repaid $28,277 after wage theft scheme in Queens cleaning businesses
• Owner Christian Perez sentenced to five years’ probation after guilty plea
• Defendants banned from forming companies in New York for five years
—
Sentencing includes business restrictions
As part of the plea agreement, both Perez and Perez Miranda are barred from incorporating new businesses in New York for five years.
Perez Miranda previously pleaded guilty to labor law violations and received a conditional discharge in February.
District Attorney Katz emphasized the broader impact of wage theft cases, stating that withholding pay harms workers beyond financial loss.
“When someone steals a person’s paycheck, they are also stealing their dignity,” Katz said, adding that the restitution ensures affected employees will receive the money they were owed.
New York State Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon echoed that stance, saying the case sends a message that employers who withhold wages will face consequences.
“Stealing hard-earned money from working New Yorkers will not be tolerated in this state,” Reardon said.
Investigation and enforcement
The case was investigated by the Queens District Attorney’s Housing and Worker Protection Bureau, with assistance from the New York State Department of Labor.
Authorities detailed how Perez managed company finances, client bookings, and payroll systems, while also directing practices that ultimately denied workers their earnings.
The investigation also involved forensic accounting and labor standards enforcement to track unpaid wages and document the scope of the violations.
Case status
With restitution paid and sentencing completed, the case against Perez has concluded in court, though the five-year probation and business restrictions remain in effect.
Officials said enforcement efforts against wage theft will continue, particularly in industries where workers may be vulnerable to unpaid labor.
