By Madina Toure
State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a lawsuit in Brooklyn County Supreme Court Monday against Papa John’s franchisee Emstar Pizza Inc. and owners Emmanuel Onuaguluchi and Uchenna Onuaguluchi for allegedly underpaying employees at six location, the AG announced.
The Papa John’s restaurants targeted in the investigation include the Richmond Hill location on 11702 Atlantic Ave., the Rego Park location on 63110 Woodhaven Blvd., the Flushing location on 3114 Farrington St. and the Ozone Park location on 9431 Rockaway Blvd. There are also two Brooklyn restaurants under investigation.
Violations included shaving as many as 18 hours from employees reported work hours in one pay period, rounding down fractions of hours without compensation and failing to pay overtime premiums, according to the complaint.
“Employers must pay for all hours worked — without shaving hours and without rounding down,” Schneiderman said in a statement. “And when people work long weeks, they are entitled by law to get overtime pay.”
The lawsuit would require Emstar Pizza and the Onuaguluchis to pay restitution and damages to hundreds of employees who worked for Enstar and its owners over the past six years.
Schneiderman said he was granted a temporary restraining order to prevent dissipation of the employer’s assets.
In October, the he sued Papa John’s franchisee New Majority Holdings LLC, and its owner.
Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtoure@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.
