There’s a new crackdown in Philadelphia on businesses that try to exploit workers. District Attorney Larry Krasner announced that his office has rebooted its Labor Crimes Enforcement Unit and charged two moving companies with several charges in a case involving the exploitation of immigrant workers.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, on Monday, announced a reboot of the his office's Labor Crimes Enforcement Unit along with providing details on a case involving a fraud scheme.
According to a statement from the District Attorney's Office, three people have been charged following allegations that they ran a fraudulent business scheme that exploited immigrant workers.
On Monday, representatives of the District Attorney's office announced charges against Juan Carlos Tapia, 40, Michael Tapia, 36, and Juliana Sánchez Tapia, 38, of Pro Tri State Movers LLC -- though court documents also list Juan Carlos Tapia as associated with All Star Moving -- for their alleged roles in a scam that, Krasner said, stole wages from employees, forced them to work 80 hours a week or more and threated workers with violence if anyone complained.
He said the charges were for "running a moving business that was, pretty much, a moving scam."
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"It ripped off workers, it ripped off customers. It did it in ways that were, at times, shocking," Krasner said. “We are talking about exploitation that, at times, included threats of violence.”
According to the District Attorney's Office, individuals named in this case have been charged with theft, conspiracy, involuntary servitude, witness intimidation and other offenses.
Prosecutors claim workers for the companies involved in this case were worked 80 hours or more a week and weren't paid for overtime, forced to work even if they were injured and -- for those who were undocumented -- faced threats of deportation.
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Officials said, workers were threatened with violence against themselves and their family members -- even against family members who were overseas, where local law enforcement officials couldn't protect them.
Also, Krasner said that the owners of the moving company changed business names frequently in an effort to avoid prosecution.
In another alleged scheme, Assistant District Attorney Maria DiGeorge, of the District Attorney's Labor Crimes Enforcement Unit, said the owners of the company went so far as to create fake walls of boxes that would be installed in moving trucks, so that workers could tell customers they needed to pay for additional trucks to fit all their things.
She also said that those charged in this case did not pay business taxes or unemployment compensation for employees.
Also, Krasner said, in telling a story of a victim who worked with this moving company, who told his office that he confronted the owners for missing pay, saying he was worried he would be evicted from his home, the owners seemingly couldn't find ways to pay that employee the money owed.
Yet, Krasner said, when officers raided the business offices, they found $25,000 in cash.
"Criminals will deliberately prey on vulnerable populations," noted Krasner.
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