A New Rochelle contractor who has repeatedly failed to pay employees in recent years has been arrested again on similar charges, the Westchester District Attorney’s Office said.
Artemio Fuerte, who was sentenced last year to probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor wage theft charges, is accused of failing to pay $51,720 to five employees of his Fuerte Construction Services LLC between September 2022 and October 2025.
Fuerte was arraigned Monday, March 2, in New Rochelle City Court on felony charges of second-degree grand larceny and first-degree scheme to defraud, and failure to pay wages when due, a misdemeanor under state labor law. Those charges are not bail eligible and he was released to appear next in court on March 12.
His lawyer did not immediately return a request for comment.
“These hard-working employees were taken advantage of by the defendant to the tune of over $50,000,” District Attorney Susan Cacace said in a statement announcing Fuerte’s latest arrest. “Deliberately withholding wages from your employees is not a bookkeeping trick, it is a crime.”
One of the workers was supposed to be paid $900 a week between February and September for demolition, painting, carpentry and drywall services but was either not paid or paychecks bounced for a total of $19,583 unpaid., the DA’s Office said.
Another employee was hired at a daily rate of $160 but is owed $8,400 for unpaid work between September 2022 and October 2025.
Fuerte Construction Services LLC and his original company Fuerte Construction LLC remain active, according to the New York Department of State website. Legislation proposed to allow the state to suspend business licenses of companies involved in wage theft has not passed the Assembly or the Senate.
Former workers of Fuerte’s sued him in federal court in 2022 and the following year three won default judgments requiring him to pay more than $90,000 in back wages. A lawyer for the men said Monday they have still not received the money.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: New Rochelle contractor arrested again on charges he failed to pay workers
Reporting by Jonathan Bandler, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
