Danbury Business Owner Jailed for Not Paying Wages

A Danbury cleaning business owner, Douglas Agnessanto, 56, was sentenced to three months in jail on July 2 and to five years probation for failing to pay about $80,000 to seven workers, in a case that was investigated by the state Department of Labor.

The firm, Performance Cleaning, closed in 2009, and then workers filed wage complaints with the state Department of Labor's Wage Enforcement division. In addition to the original $80,000 due, Agnessanto is also ordered to pay $26,806.38 in interest on those wages.

Wage Enforcement Agent Blair Bertaccini investigated the complaints, and the Labor Department pursued court action after being unable to reach an agreement with Agnessanto to pay the wages, said Gary Pechie, director of the Labor Department's Wage Division, in a prepared release.

Bertaccini said in an April interview his department began investigating after receiving a complaint from the three workers on Nov. 20, 2009.

Bertaccini said office cleaning services, construction, restaurants, landscaping and chimney cleaning firms have more complaints from unpaid workers than other firms. Day laborers are among those workers.

Danbury day laborers, including Jose Leon, have been ripped off by employers, and the state Department of Labor investigates these crimes. Danbury advocates for workers have taught classes to day labors that give them hints and tips to help make sure they get paid.

“We take it very seriously when people are not paid for the hours they work, and this is a case where justice is being served,” noted Acting Labor Commissioner Dennis Murphy, in the prepared release. “This past year alone our Wage Division has recovered more than $5.5 million for hardworking individuals who went to the employment site, did their jobs, but did not receive compensation. This is against the law, and as an agency the Labor Department makes it a priority to ensure people are paid for the jobs they do.”

Assistant State's Attorney Sharmese Hodge said that by the time a non-payment of wages case reaches Superior Court, the defendants have been offered agreement after agreement and deal after deal by the state Department of Labor to pay what they owe and avoid jail time. Hodge was speaking in general and not speaking about the Agnessanto case.

Agnessanto pleaded guilty to these charges before being sentenced to three months in jail.