A North Babylon asbestos removal and demolition company, along with its top executives, have been charged in a massive wage theft scheme, allegedly cheating workers out of over $140,000.
BJA Renovations Corp., its President Nicholas Barnett, Vice President Dana Petrizzo, and Manager Joseph Demasco, are accused of failing to pay prevailing wages on public work projects at schools in the Merrick and Oceanside Union Free School Districts from 2019 to 2021. Additionally, the company and Barnett allegedly falsified Unemployment Insurance Contribution returns, shortchanging the state by over $60,000.
According to Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly, the company was involved in public projects at multiple schools. Between June and November 2019, BJA Renovations underpaid workers at Birch School, Roland A. Chatterton School, and Norman J. Levy Lakeside School by as much as $37 per hour. Instead of paying the required prevailing wages, which ranged from $52.70 to $68.96 per hour, employees received only $35 per hour, often in cash. The company’s deception resulted in wage underpayments totaling $88,559.
The scheme continued in 2021 at Oceanside High School, where workers were again paid $35 per hour instead of the mandated rates of up to $74.70 per hour, leading to an additional $54,084 in unpaid wages.
Further investigation revealed that in February 2020, BJA Renovations and Barnett filed falsified payroll records with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and the Department of Labor, significantly underreporting the wages paid to their employees, causing a shortfall to the state’s Unemployment Insurance funds.
Barnett, Petrizzo, Demasco, and BJA Renovations Corp. were arraigned on charges including Grand Larceny, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, and Identity Theft. They pleaded not guilty and were released on their own recognizance, with a court date set for June 17, 2024. If convicted, they face up to four years in prison.
“BJA Renovations Corp. and its executive leadership allegedly cheated workers out of more than $140,000 of their rightfully earned wages across multiple public work projects in Merrick and Oceanside, undercutting their salary and benefits by as much as $37 per hour,” said DA Donnelly. “Protecting the prevailing wage is essential to the integrity of our labor industry. NCDA is committed to safeguarding the livelihoods of our hardworking labor force and holding companies and their employees accountable when they attempt to defraud workers and deceive government institutions.”
This case is being prosecuted by Senior Investigative Counsel Richard Balletta under the supervision of Bureau Chief Maureen McCormack and Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Investigations Division Rick Whelan. The defendants are represented by attorneys appointed at arraignment.
The charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.
