Watertown News: Attorney General Suing Watertown Construction Company for Reporting False Wages
Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced today that her office has filed suit against Avatar Construction Corp. of Watertown and its owner, Nazar Vincent, for violating the Massachusetts False Claims Act by underpaying workers in five municipal construction contracts for which it was the prime contractor.
The complaint, filed March 14 in Suffolk Superior Court, alleges that Avatar knowingly used fraudulent payroll forms created by its subcontractor to obtain payment and concealed the fact that workers were paid far less than the required prevailing wage rates. The complaint alleges that the wages falsely reported by Avatar also far exceeded what it was actually paying its subcontractor. “The Prevailing Wage Law is crucial for ensuring that workers on public construction projects in Massachusetts receive fair and equal wages,” AG Campbell said. “As we push for greater economic mobility for our residents, my office will continue to firmly enforce our laws to hold businesses accountable that fail to play by the rules and exploit their workers.”