Paradise Tossed Over Scam On Workers' Wages

By MEREDITH KOLODNER

A construction company that won a $1.3-million contract from the city to renovate two parks pleaded guilty last week to cheating its workers out of $236,544 in wages.

Paradise Construction, which began work on Harry Maze Memorial Park in Brooklyn and Patterson Playground in The Bronx in March 2004, admitted to submitting falsified payroll documents to the Parks Department after workers alerted the agency to the underpayment. The Department of Investigation pursued the case and Paradise agreed to pay the employees' missing back-wages plus a $23,654 fine.

Paradise submitted payroll records indicating that it had paid at least four workers prevailing wage and supplemental benefits amounting to approximately between $48 and $59 per hour, according to the criminal complaint and plea agreement. DOI found that Paradise had actually paid the workers in cash between $10 and $15 per hour.

As part of the agreement, Paradise will be ineligible to bid on or be awarded any public contract or subcontract with the city or state for five years.