El Paso contractor fails to pay workers, sentenced for wage theft
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A contractor who failed to pay workers and subcontractors for construction work performed at several locations in El Paso was sentenced to prison, according to the El Paso County Attorney’s Office.
The County Attorney’s Office says Joseph Arroyos pled guilty on Oct. 7 to a total of eight criminal counts, including felony and misdemeanor charges of theft of service and theft of property. He was sentenced to five years in the Texas Department of Corrections.
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Photo: Joseph Arroyos. El Paso County Attorney’s Office
Arroyos was convicted of hiring subcontractors to complete construction projects, receiving full payment from property owners, and then failing to compensate the workers for their labor, according to the County Attorney’s Office.
In one of the cases, Arroyos was convicted in, he subcontracted two people to build a concrete wall around a cemetery.
Arroyos was paid in full by the client but he did not pay the subcontractors for their labor and materials, according to the County Attorney’s Office.
The County Attorney’s Office says Arroyos also refused to pay three other men — one who completed a tile installation project, one who who worked on a roofing project and one who built a cinderblock wall. Arroyos was paid by the property owners for these projects but did not pay the workers.
The financial impact of Arroyo’s offenses totaled around $105,500, with $15,400 specifically related to wage theft cases, the County Attorney’s Office said.
The County Attorney’s Office says anyone who believes they have been a victim of wage theft, or anyone who has information on these types of cases, should contact their office or El Paso Police for assistance.
For more information, or to report potential wage theft cases, contact the El Paso CountyAttorney’s Office at (915) 273-3249 or visit https://www.epcounty.com/CA.
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