Dublin Business Owner Charged With Stealing Workers Pay

A Dublin-based electrical company was charged last week with 57 felonies for stealing workers pay and lying about it, the Tri-Valley Times reports.

The owner of Harris Electric, Calvin Harris, is accused of falsely claiming to be paying his workers a prevailing wage to three government agencies when in reality he was paying them a lower hourly rate, according to court documents.

Harris Electric had received over $1 million in government grants.

The Tri-Valley Times reports:

Meanwhile, the three government agencies -- Fremont, Alameda County and the Port of Oakland -- paid Harris Electric for work based on sworn statements the company made claiming it was paying its workers the higher rate, court documents state.

By paying his workers a lower rate but telling the agencies that he was paying a prevailing wage, Harris and his company illegally earned about $400,000 in profits, the court documents state.

The yearlong investigation looked at numerous Harris Electric contracts the company won in a bidding process, including including work on a Fremont Police Department indoor gun-firing range, installation of solar panels at the Santa Rita Jail and various projects at the Port of Oakland.

Harris is currently free from jail on his own his next court date is April 10 at the Hayward Hall of Justice.