A Lafayette husband and wife have bonded out of the parish jail after their arrest late this week by state authorities on theft and fraud charges. Mauro and Keren Aguirre are accused of intentionally failing to pay $1.2 million in worker’s compensation premiums related to their business, Escapade Acoustic Drywall, LLC. The company provides labor for hanging drywall in commercial developments around Louisiana.
According to state Attorney General Buddy Caldwell’s office, the Aguirres under-reported both the number of laborers employed by Escapade as well as the company’s payroll from 2007 to 2008. The AG’s office says state investigators were tipped off by a representative of the Louisiana Carpenter’s Regional Council (union), who collected three bags of trash around the perimeter of the Aguirre’s home. In those bags, according to a Caldwell spokeswoman, were records that showed the company actually employed more than 300 workers and had a payroll of $4.2 million — considerably larger that the 35 employees and $145,347 payroll the company reported for the time period in question.
The tip from the carpenters union led to a probe by agents with the Louisiana Insurance Fraud Task Force, who swooped in Thursday and arrested the couple. They have since posted $20,000 bonds and are free awaiting arraignment.
... written by ETEE , September 11, 2009 - 05:46 pm
Can you say "Illegals", señor ??? I am sure the Federal Dot.Gov will be interested in speaking to the Aguirre's after the State has extracted its due. That would be FIT, SS and Medicare for 265 workers............plus Penalty and Interest, of coarse!!! By the time the IRS gets thru with them, and they complete they're Federal sentences, they'll wish they never heard of the "Drywall business"!!!
... written by Phil , September 12, 2009 - 01:06 am
Ratted out by the union. Bet the Int'l Bros of Drywall Hangers is looking for some biz, since their Northern feeding grounds are disrupted. How was the work? Probably very high quality, which is why so many were busy. And don't assume they are illegals, they could all be "green cards", working for a sub-contractor, who would then be responsible for FICA, FUTA, FIT, SS, and Medicare.
... written by Jim Folse , September 12, 2009 - 02:08 pm
They'll never go to trial, they head to Mexico or some other Latin American country and live the life of Riely.
... written by Lard of the Rings , September 14, 2009 - 02:34 pm
The construction industry, especially subcontractors, is full of non-compliance with the laws. If contractors obeyed the laws for insurance and taxes there would be less construction. The more government rules and taxes, the more likely non-compliance will happen.
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A Lafayette husband and wife have bonded out of the parish jail after their arrest late this week by state authorities on theft and fraud charges. Mauro and Keren Aguirre are accused of intentionally failing to pay $1.2 million in worker’s compensation premiums related to their business, Escapade Acoustic Drywall, LLC. The company provides labor for hanging drywall in commercial developments around Louisiana.
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