Catalina Island Business Owners Charged With Wage Theft After Allegedly Stealing More Than $500,000 From Workers

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has filed eight counts of grand theft labor charges against two Catalina Island business owners for allegedly stealing more than $500,000 in overtime wages from 18 employees starting in 2008.

The married couple, Jack and Yueh Mei Tucey, also known as Nora Tucey, have also been charged with two counts of grand theft of wages, one count of conspiracy to commit grand theft of labor and 15 counts of filing false and fraudulent returns, Gascón said.

“By allegedly underreporting wages and violating overtime pay laws, the defendants not only broke the law but also contributed to the cycle of economic hardship for hardworking individuals,” he said.

It was not immediately clear if the Tuceys had retained legal representation and a manager could not be reached at their business.

It's the second time Gascón has filed criminal charges against business owners after launching a new labor justice unit in September. According to the his office, wage theft is one of the most under-reported crimes in L.A. County.

Boats moored near the short of Catalina Island (Photo by Beth J. Harpaz/AP)

"Nearly a billion-plus dollars are stolen from workers in L.A. County each and every year," Gascón said. "And the consequences of this are significant, not only for the employees and their families, but for our entire community."

According to the California Department of Industrial Relations, which is working with Gascón’s office, the workers were allegedly paid less than minimum wage and worked at multiple businesses in the same day. Some employees reportedly had up to 18-hour workdays.

State officials also said the Tuceys did not accurately record their hours and failed to pay workers for all hours worked. Many of the workers were also tenants of the Tuceys on Catalina Island.

“These employers used sophisticated methods in a fraudulent scheme to pay their workers less than minimum wage, deprive them of essential labor protections and take unfair advantage over businesses that play by the rules,” said California Labor Commissioner Lilia García-Brower.

The workers employed by the couple were mostly Latino and Asian immigrants who worked as bussers, dishwashers, and housekeepers. García-Brower said most were too afraid to speak up in fear of getting blacklisted.

"Many of these employees were also living in the properties owned by these defendants, which placed them in a particularly vulnerable situation" García-Brower said. "Once the employees would separate from the employer, they would be evicted."

The Tuceys own multiple restaurants and a hotel on Catalina Island: El Galleon Restaurant, Mi Casita Authentic Mexican Restaurant, Antonio's Pizzeria & Cabaret, Original Antonio's Pizzeria, Food Brokers International, Catalina Hotel, Catalina Courtyard Hotel, and Original Jack’s Restaurant and Bakery.

The Catalina Island couple are expected to be held in lieu of $590,000 bail each. If convicted, they could face a maximum of 22 years in prison.

Gascón said his office believes there are others who may have been defrauded by the Tuceys. Anyone with information or knows someone who may have been can call the Department of Industrial Relations Hotline at (818) 901-5305.