By ADAM SWIFT
LYNN – A Lynn painting contractor who was criminally charged with intentionally not paying workers has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to probation, debarment, and a fine.
A hearing will be held to determine the amount of restitution owed to workers, according to a news release from the office of state Attorney General Maura Healey.
On Wednesday, Derek Sullivan, 46, owner of Sullivan Commercial Painting, Inc. in Lynn, pleaded guilty in Lynn District Court to charges of willful failure to pay wages in a timely manner (14 counts).
After the plea was entered, District Court Judge James L. LaMothe Jr. sentenced Sullivan to three years probation, one-year debarment, and a $2,500 fine. A hearing will be held Sept. 12 to determine restitution owed to employees.
“This defendant has a history of cheating his workers,” Healey said in the release. “In Massachusetts, workers must be paid what they are owed in full and in a timely manner. We will use our enforcement powers as appropriate to hold accountable any employers who do not abide by those laws.”
Sullivan Commercial Painting serves apartment complexes and major retail establishments. The Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division began an investigation after receiving a referral from the Chelsea Collaborative.
The investigation revealed that Sullivan routinely did not pay his employees in a timely manner. In many instances, employees received no compensation for weeks of work or only small partial payments. Under state law, employees must be paid all of their wages within six days of the end of each pay period.
Sullivan was previously charged and pleaded guilty in 2009 to five counts of failing to pay wages timely, five counts of failing to pay overtime, and one count of failure to keep payroll records. He was sentenced to two years probation.