Central Islip, NY – The operator of two Long Island restaurants withheld information regarding payroll requested by department of Labor and was arrested.
On February 1, 2023, the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Louis “Luigi” Prudente for ignoring the orders of federal investigators and a federal court. Mr. Prudence repeatedly failed to provide information to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division as part of a compliance investigation that began in May 2021. the U.S. Marshalls Service arrest of Prudente following his refusal to supply documents required for the division’s investigation.
“The arrest of Il Vizio owner, Louis Prudente, shows that the U.S. Department of Labor will use every available instrument to gather the facts, enforce the law and ensure employers do not hold the law in contempt,” said Regional Solicitor Jeffrey S. Rogoff in New York. “An employer’s refusal to comply with federal investigators is illegal and unacceptable and, as this employer now knows, has significant consequences including arrest.”
The department issued an administrative subpoena in July 2021, to determine if the employer’s pay practices complied with the Fair Labor Standards Act. On January 5, 2023, the employer’s continued non-compliance resulted in the arrest of the Prudente until he produces the subpoenaed documents.
