Business Owner Jailed For Labor Law Violations
Posted on Thursday, 15 of May , 2008 at 5:48 pm
TOMPKINS COUNTY—A Tompkins County business owner has been sentenced to one year in the Tompkins County Jail for violations of state labor laws.
Business owner Melea Bartley was sentenced to jail for violating a probation agreement that required her to pay $105,519 in restitution over a period of three years for wages due to 41 workers.
The workers were employees of two companies that Bartley owned and operated: XCP, Inc. and Integrated Payment Solutions, Inc., both located at 40 Elm Street in Dryden. The companies manufactured money-handling systems.
On Feb. 9, 2004, Melea Bartley entered a guilty plea to two counts of failure to pay wages, both misdemeanors under state labor law. On May 10, 2004, she appeared in Town of Dryden Court before Hon. Christopher Clausen, who sentenced her to three years’ probation, during which she was required to pay restitution of the unpaid wages. She was also fined $1,000. As of December 2007, the amount of restitution collected was $29,677. On Dec. 10, 2007, Judge Clausen sentenced Bartley to a term of one year in the Tompkins County Jail. On Jan. 28, Bartley appeared in Tompkins County Court before Hon. John C. Rowley, where her request for a stay and release pending appeal was denied. She began her sentence at the Tompkins County Jail on Feb. 1.
“This case sends a strong message that we will prosecute violations of the state’s labor laws to the fullest extent of the law,” said state labor commissioner M. Patricia Smith. “Ms. Bartley devised a scheme to deprive workers not only of their wages but also of medical coverage for their families. These shameful practices will not be tolerated in this state.”
The time period covered in the Department of Labor’s wage investigation was from October 2001 through June 2003. During that time, Bartley withheld payment of wages, vacation pay and commissions due to her employees, and failed to pay premiums for health insurance benefits for which she made deductions from her employees’ paychecks. In some cases, employees incurred substantial medical bills, unaware that their health insurance policies had been cancelled for non-payment of premiums. 5-15-08
Category: Business, Government, New York State
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