LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office issued a warrant for the arrest of Moon Hyuk Hahn. Hahn, owner of Pacific Commercial Company, faces 26 felony counts of insurance fraud, tax avoidance, and wage theft.
The felony complaint was issued as a part of an investigation by the state of California’s Department of Industrial Relations Division of Labor Standards Enforcement following a complaint made by the janitorial industry watchdog group the Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund.
“Numerous workers employed by Pacific Commercial cleaning various buildings managed by Jamison Properties in the Mid-Wilshire Area, came to us sharing alarming stories about being paid by the square foot instead of by the hour, being paid with checks with no paystub, and being asked to sign documents in a language they don’t speak,” said Rafael Ventura, Field Director for the MCTF. “We worked with the workers to document these abuses, filed a complaint with the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, and assisted in the investigation.”
The felony complaint includes 17 counts of grand theft for stolen wages from 17 workers; 5 counts for failure to pay and collect personal income tax; and four counts for workers’ compensation fraud. The felony complaint was filed on July 28 in Los Angeles Superior Court (Superior Court Case No. BA488745). Hahn is set to appear for a preliminary hearing Nov. 20.
“I am glad we will get justice for the way we were treated on the job,” said Edith Lopez, one of the janitors denied wages while working for PCC. “We often weren’t even paid minimum wage. Janitorial contractors that break the law should not be allowed to continue working at all.”
The felony complaint is another reminder that only continued oversight from the state and investigative groups, and ethical choices from companies, will ensure that workers are paid what they are owed.
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The MCTF is a California statewide watchdog organization whose mission is to abolish illegal and unfair business practices in the janitorial industry. The MCTF investigates allegations of employment law violations and partners with local, state, and federal enforcement agencies to hold unscrupulous contractors accountable.