Cleaning Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge Stemming from Employee Kickback Scheme

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that that ANTHONY DIAZ, 62, of Monroe, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill to one count of making a false statement to federal agents during an investigation of an employee kickback scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, DIAZ is a co-owner of Advantage Cleaning, LLC, which provides custodial services and final cleaning for construction job sites, and he is a manager at Advantage Maintenance, Inc., a janitorial cleaning and maintenance service company.  An investigation revealed that undocumented employees of Advantage Cleaning and Advantage Maintenance were required to kick back a large portion of the pay they received for work they performed on prevailing wage jobs to DIAZ.  Employees who were paid between $37 and $41 per hour would cash their paychecks and would return approximately $25 for each our worked to DIAZ.

On September 26, 2014, DIAZ was interviewed by special agents from the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  During the interview, DIAZ was questioned about cash kickbacks he had allegedly received and whether Advantage Cleaning or Advantage Maintenance had employed any undocumented workers.  DIAZ denied all of the allegations against him and made several false statements.

In pleading guilty, DIAZ admitted that he had received cash kickbacks from his employees.

Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for January 10, 2017, at which time DIAZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.