Uptown Restaurant Owners Stole Workers' Wages, AG Says

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Owners and managers of a Washington Heights restaurant are facing charges for stealing up to $160,000 in wages from their workers, New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced Friday.

Workers at Parrilla Latin Bistro — located on Broadway between West 164th and 165th streets — worked for less than minimum wage and were repeatedly denied proper compensation, James said Friday. As a result, restaurant owners were able to withhold $160,000 in rightfully-earned wages from nine workers including cooks and servers.

Owner Manuel Hernandez and longtime restaurant manager Mohammed Harb were arrested and arraigned Friday and owners Jose Hernandez and Gino Hernandez are expected to be arrested and brought before the court soon, state attorneys said.

"Stealing hard-earned money from workers will not be tolerated by this administration," James said in a statement. "My office pursued this case on behalf of workers who claim that these employers exploited their trust and good will and denied them the fair wages that all New Yorkers are entitled to. We will never hesitate to investigate any company that is accused of stealing from their workers."

From 2014 to 2016, workers at Parrilla Latin Bistro were paid on a daily rate that was lower than New York's minimum wage, state attorneys said. When employers withheld wages, they made promises to pay workers, but never did. Workers were also denied the opportunity to earn overtime pay after working more than 40 hours per week, state attorneys said.

Each defendant is facing charges of second-, third- and fourth-degree grand larceny and first-degree scheme to defraud, all of which are felonies.