EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A contractor who failed to pay workers and subcontractors for construction work performed at several locations in El Paso was recently sentenced to prison, according to the El Paso County Attorney’s Office.
The County Attorney’s Office says Joseph Arroyos pled guilty on Oct. 7, to a total of eight criminal counts, including felony and misdemeanor charges of theft of service and theft of property. He was sentenced to five years in the Texas Department of Corrections.
Arroyos was convicted of hiring subcontractors to complete construction projects, receiving full payment from property owners, and then failing to compensate the workers for their labor, according to the County Attorney’s Office.
In one of the cases Arroyos was convicted in, he subcontracted two people, Margarito Reyes and Richard Rodriguez to build a concrete wall around a cemetery.
Arroyos was paid in full by the client but he did not pay the subcontractors for their labor and materials, according to the County Attorney’s Office.
The County Attorney’s Office says Arroyos also refused to pay Daniel Guzman, who completed a tile installation project, Jose Trejo, who worked on a roofing project, and Jose Urquizo, who built a cinderblock wall. Arroyos was paid by the property owners for these projects but did not pay the workers.
The total financial impact of Arroyo’s offenses totaled around $105,500.30, with $15,400 specifically related to wage theft cases.
The County Attorney’s Office says anyone who believes they have been a victim of wage theft, or anyone who has information on these types of cases, should contact their office or El Paso Police for assistance.
For more information, or to report potential wage theft cases, contact the El Paso County
Attorney’s Office at (915) 273-3249 or visit https://www.epcounty.com/CA.
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