SUTTON – Three construction companies were issued citations totaling $636,796 in penalties and restitution for 23 workers for wage and records violations in connection with the Sutton Police Station project.
According to Attorney General Maura Healey, five citations totaling $398,913 were issued against Machados Construction Services LLC and its manager Leandro Machado, two citations totaling $217,738 against Real Construction Inc. and its President Elismar J. Custodio, and five citations totaling $20,145 against WF North Lion Inc. and Wirley M. De Freitas.
“Companies that try to gain an unfair advantage over their competitors by not paying workers will be held accountable,” Healey said. “Prevailing wage laws are in place to ensure there is a level playing field for those who work on our public projects.”
The investigation into the companies began after the AG’s office received a referral from the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters alleging that construction workers on the project were not being paid the prevailing wage.
According to the referral, workers on the project were paid only $15 to $20 per hour for carpentry work, far less than the state-mandated prevailing wage rate of $68.72 per hour.
Payroll records from each company showed employees were regularly underpaid for work performed at the project.
The AG’s investigators also discovered that Machados had failed to pay employees the prevailing wage on another public construction project awarded by the Malden Housing Authority.
The investigation was conducted by the AG’s Fair Labor division.
