PHILADELPHIA (August 5, 2024) — District Attorney Krasner and members of the newly-rebooted Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Labor Crimes Enforcement Unit announced on Monday the arrests and charging of Michael M. Tapia (DOB 11/24/87), Juan Carlos Tapia (DOB 8/10/83), and Juliana Santos-Tapia (DOB 1/3/86), owners of Pro Tri-State Movers, LLC, and EJ Relocations, LLC, following an extensive investigation aided by the Bensalem Police Department that revealed a brazen labor exploitation and business fraud scheme.
Juan Carlos and Michael Tapias are charged with Involuntary Servitude (F1), Conspiracy (F1), Theft by Extortion (F3), Intimidation of Witnesses or Victims (F3), Improper Classification of Employees (M3), Theft by Deception (F3), and additional related charges. Julianna Tapias is charged with all charges except Involuntary Servitude. As part of the defendants’ scheme, they refused to pay thousands of dollars in wages for work performed by four of their victims between both businesses; failed to pay overtime after 40 hours; and when the workers complained about the theft of their wages, the Tapias threatened them with deportation and violence. The defendants committed these crimes from January 2021 to July 2024 primarily in the city’s Somerton section, where the four victims often worked at a warehouse on Bayberry Road.
The defendants are also believed to have defrauded clients by installing false walls in their moving trucks to charge clients for full loads when they only moved a partial load; up-charging clients on moving days; and fabricating additional exorbitant charges to have clients’ belongings returned. One such client is allegedly still waiting to receive over $50,000 in a civil judgement for these practices.
This investigation remains open.
“Assistant District Attorney Maria DiGeorge, of my office’s Labor Crimes Enforcement Unit, intends to vigorously prosecute these defendants and any others who think they can get away with abusing workers in Philadelphia,” said DA Krasner. “I want every worker in this city to know that they have a right to be paid fairly for their work; they also have a right to file complaints about abusive labor practices without threat of extortion or violence. My office is here to fight for the rights of workers and to hold those who violate those rights accountable.”
“The Defendants in this case forced their victims to work grueling hours, refused to pay them what they earned, and pocketed the profits for themselves,” said Assistant District Attorney Maria DiGeorge of the DAO Labor Crimes Enforcement Unit. “If a victim dared to speak up, they were met with intimidation and retaliation. Not only are these acts morally reprehensible, they are also criminal. Yet, many perpetrators of crimes like wage theft, misclassification of employees as independent contractors, and labor trafficking, believe they are above the law. The Labor Crimes Enforcement Unit intends to dispel that myth and help working Philadelphians achieve the justice they deserve.”
Philadelphia workers who want to report suspected employment crimes can contact the Labor Crimes Enforcement Unit at 215-686-9902, via email at [email protected], or via an online form.
CONTACT:
Dustin Slaughter, [email protected]
The multimedia content below is produced by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Communications Office for use by the news media.
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