Welcome to CPR's first- and only-of-its-kind Crimes Against Workers Database. Here you’ll find detailed information about state criminal cases and grassroots advocacy campaigns against employers responsible for crimes against workers – leaving them dead, maimed, seriously injured or sick, or robbing them of some or all of their paychecks. You'll also find links to Google Drive folders with source materials. Search using the tools below.
You can also help us grow the database. We plan to expand the database as we discover new cases and gather new information and materials. You can help us by notifying us of new incidents or additional information about incidents already in the database. To let us know about an incident, contact CPR Senior Policy Analyst Marcha Isabelle Chaudry.
Disclaimer: Before you begin your search below, please review the database terms and conditions.
Showing 127 results
Fall | Florida | August 13, 2013
Blake Bryant, a 14-year-old, died as a result of the gross and culpable negligence of his employer, Jonathan Wilkes. On the day of his death, Bryant climbed a pine tree with Wilkes’ consent and supervision. Bryant’s climbing harness was severed, and he fell 49 feet to the ground. Florida state statutes restrict the employment of […]
Wall/Building Collapse | Pennsylvania | June 5, 2013
Two employees and four customers of a Salvation Army were killed, and 13 others were injured, when the remains of a demolished wall fell onto the store. The wall that fell was part of a building owned by Richard Basciano, who had hired contractor Griffin Campbell to demolish it. Campbell then hired Sean Benschop to […]
Wage Theft | New York | February 21, 2013
An investigation conducted by New York Attorney General Letitia James found that Intergen Health and Amazing Home Care Services — two home healthcare companies — has repeatedly violated New York Labor Laws and New York City Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law. The two companies failed to pay their workers nearly $19 million in earned […]
Fire/ Explosion | Ohio | December 28, 2012
Henzerling was fatally injured after a few weeks on the job when a fire broke out while he was treating hazardous waste. He incurred burns and later died. Another worker was also badly burned. A manager for the company, Gerald Nocks, falsified training records to make it appear that employees had received training that they […]
Fall | California | December 26, 2012
Jose Plancarte died after falling 18.5 feet from scaffolding onto a concrete basement floor below. He was not wearing any fall protection. The scaffolding did not have guardrails; rather, Plancarte had built a nailed bracket scaffold and used two scaffold planks to access a window. Cal/OSHA determined that the construction company had failed to provide […]
Wage Theft | New York | December 1, 2012
Between December 2012 and December 2015, defendants were granted more than a dozen public works contracts from three government agencies, including the New York City School Construction Authority, which contracted the defendants to complete electrical work at multiple public schools in Brooklyn; the New York State Office of General Services, which contracted the defendants to […]
Caught in Machine | California | October 11, 2012
Jose Melena died when he was cooked alive inside an industrial oven called a 'retort.' Cal/OSHA found that Melena had entered the oven to make a repair or adjustment on a chain inside the machine. He left a pallet jack he used to load the tuna into the oven outside of the oven. Another employee […]
Fall | Montana | September 13, 2012
Martin Romano, the president of Mr. Asphalt, Inc., regularly required employees to access the top platform of a 13-foot-tall asphalt tank to measure how much asphalt was in the tank, but the tank lacked any protective guard rails, a violation of OSHA regulations. William Irby Jr., a Mr. Asphalt employee, died after falling from the […]
Trench Collapse | California | January 28, 2012
Mercado, a day laborer, died when a 12 feet deep unshored trench collapsed on him. The CEO, Richard Liu, left for China, leaving his assistant and Project Manager, Dan Luo, in charge of the project during his absence. On January 25, a city building inspector issued a stop work order after seeing the trench was […]