Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty To OSHA Violations: Feds

BRDIGEPORT, CT — A Bridgeport man has pleaded guilty to making false statements and submitting false documents to OSHA while the agency conducted an investigation into a job site he controlled, according to a statement from federal prosecutors. Luis Estrada, 47, is the owner of L.L.E. Construction.

According to prosecutors, in February 2018, Estrada and his company were under contract to perform roof repair and other construction at a Main Street property in Bridgeport. Estrada was paid $11,000 for performing the work.

In March 2018, an OSHA compliance officer visited the property and saw what he believed to be various safety infractions by workers making the roof repairs. Estrada spoke to the compliance officer on the phone.

In May 2018, OSHA served Estrada with a subpoena that demanded documents and records related to L.L.E. Construction’s work at the Main Street property. Estrada responded with a hand-delivered written response stating he "did not do any work for the 'LLE Roofing Project,'" that "[t]here is no payroll because [he] did not work on the 'LLE Roofing Project,'" and that he "do[es] not have any contract or any documents regarding the 'LLE Roofing Project,'" according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors also said Estrada later lied in a deposition which was part of the OSHA investigation into the suspected safety violations at the site.

At sentencing, Estrada faces a maximum prison term of five years. Estrada is released on a $75,000 bond pending sentencing.