The two owners of electrical contracting company R3 Electrical Inc. pleaded guilty last week of underpaying workers by more than $250,000 on two New York city projects. Ronald Bartiromo and Raymond D'Auria stiffed electricians who worked on projects for CUNY and NYCHA out of wages that are legally required according to a report from DNAinfo New York.
While working on the renovation of five science labs in CUNY colleges and a New York Power Authority project at the Rutger Houses in the Lower East Side, Bartiromo, with the help of project manager D'Auria, paid workers an hourly wage a fraction of what they were required by law. To avoid getting caught, the news report said, Bartiromo filed false payroll reports that showed he paid the workers the proper wages.
Under their plea deal, Bartiromo and R3 Electrical agreed to pay back $273,943.66 in restitution to the underpaid workers and the company cannot work on public projects for five years.
