West Hempstead Restaurant Underpaid Workers By More Than $60,000: DA

MINEOLA, NY — The owners of a Mediterranean restaurant in West Hempstead were charged with underpaying their employees, prosecutors said.

Mahmut Unver, a.k.a. Max Unver, and Red Lions Food Corp., which operates as Anatolia Mediterranean & Grill, were arraigned on November 13, Nassau County D.A. Anne Donnelly said.

Between Sept. 2023 and April 2024, Unver allegedly underpaid employees more than $60,000 from Sept. 2023 to April 2024. He also failed to contribute to the state's unemployment insurance program, prosecutors said.

He was arraigned last week on charges of second-degree grand larceny, first-degree scheme to defraud, failure to pay wages when due under labor law and willful failure to pay contributions, Donnelly announced.

Unver pleaded not guilty and was released on his own recognizance. He is due back in court on December 13. Co-defendant John Yilmaz, a.k.a. Canturk Yilmaz, was arraigned on Wednesday on the same charges. He pleaded not guilty and was released on his own recognizance. He is also due back in court on December 13, prosecutors said.

Two former employees, a delivery driver and a food preparer, were allegedly underpaid by more than $10,000 and $11,000, respectively. The seven other employees’ underpayments range from $1,696 to $9,936, Donnelly said.

If convicted, the defendants face up to 5 to 15 years in prison.

"My office does not tolerate the exploitation of hard-working employees," Donnelly said. "By allegedly underpaying their restaurant workers by more than $60,000 in the span of seven months, Mahmut Unver and John Yilmaz not only violated the law, but they undermined the dignity and value of those who helped build their business."