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By Mike Moen
ANOKA, Minn. (Minnesota News Connection) – On the heels of courtroom victories, some Minnesota prosecutors say they’ll try to replicate the success in going after more businesses suspected of wage theft.
After the state bolstered its wage-theft laws, Minnesota’s two biggest counties became more active with investigations.
Last week, Hennepin County announced the first criminal conviction for wage theft in state history. Earlier this year, Ramsey County secured a guilty plea in a case filed after accusations that a contractor was failing to pay wages on time.
Anoka County Attorney Brad Johnson said he’s encouraging local investigators to “train up” on this type of enforcement.
“Wage theft has impacts that trickle out into the community, in ways that are maybe not as apparent,” said Johnson. “In many situations, people aren’t being paid a living wage.”
He suggested not being able to provide for their families hurts local economies. Other experts note the fallout strains community resources.
Labor organizations say wage theft is a common problem in construction trades, where immigrant workers are often exploited.
Johnson said preparing his team before diving into investigations is important, given the complex nature of these cases. In these situations, Johnson said landing a successful criminal conviction is no small feat.
He said on the surface, the business activity might appear legitimate, and law enforcement has to dig deep to prove that something “fishy” is going on.
“And we’re trying to show a jury and a court that it wasn’t legitimate,” said Johnson. “So, that’s a difficulty with fraud cases – they’re not like murder cases.”
Meaning, the clues don’t jump out at police.
Johnson added law enforcement agencies still face pressure to prioritize violent crime. So he said he’s eager to steer them toward resources that’ll make any wage-theft investigations run smoothly.
So they don’t feel like they are putting all their time and effort that might drag out.
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