Despite falling victim to wage theft himself in 2018, Portland, Ore., restaurant owner Miguel Chi-dzul denied employees $94,177 in tips and back wages, federal investigators said.
An investigation in 2022 by the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division found 31 employees of Casa Maya Taqueria and Cantina were denied tips and back wages, according to a Jan. 9 news release.
“Miguel Chi-dzul suffered wage theft as a restaurant worker, yet – when in a position to do right by his own workers – he chose to inflict worse financial suffering on people who trusted him as their employer and then attempted to cover it up,” Wage and Hour Division District Director Carrie Aguilar said in the release. “This case serves as another unfortunate reminder that wage theft is a common and serious concern for restaurant industry workers, many of whom are vulnerable and afraid to complain.”
Chi-dzul fell victim to wage theft in 2018 when federal investigators found his then-employer routinely altered time records to hide that employees had not been paid for all hours worked. The Wage and Hour Division recouped $831 in back overtime wages, which is part of its $14,758 recovery for four workers, the release reported.
Aguilar said restaurant workers depend on every dollar they earn in wages and tips. As restaurant workers are often among the lowest wage earners in the nation, it intensifies the economic impact of Chi-dzul’s theft on his employees, who have a legal right to be paid their hard-earned wages, the release reported.
