Subcontractors on the Hunts Point Playground reconstruction in the Bronx will shell out more than $618,000 after a city audit found workers had been shorted and payroll records falsified, officials announced Thursday. The settlement covers back pay, interest and civil penalties following a joint investigation by the city comptroller and NYC Parks. The deal also blocks the subcontractors from bidding on city projects and is intended to return money to 24 workers who labored on the job.
Comptroller Details $618K Recovery for Hunts Point Crew
In a press release via the Office of the New York City Comptroller, officials said a joint settlement with NYC Parks requires Amin Electrical Corp., Green Builders Group of NY Corp., and prime contractor D & S Restoration, Inc. to pay $618,495.40. That total includes $427,468.24 in underpaid wages, $89,263.93 in interest, $86,605.23 in civil penalties and $15,158 in investigation costs, the office said. The comptroller presented the recoveries as part of a stepped-up focus on enforcing prevailing-wage rules on city-funded projects.
Workers Say Pay Was Slashed and Payrolls Faked
Workers on the project told investigators they were paid in cash at rates far below the prevailing wage, and one former Green Builders employee told THE CITY he received $225 a day while he should have been earning roughly $84.63 an hour. Investigators later documented falsified payroll affidavits and reported that some workers were forced to return part of their pay as kickbacks, findings that formed the basis for the settlement.
Debarment Puts Contractors on the Sidelines
The comptroller's office said Amin Electrical and Green Builders will be debarred for willful prevailing-wage violations and falsifying payroll records, and that prime contractor D & S Restoration is responsible under Labor Law Section 223 for its subcontractors' violations. The office noted that six of the 12 workers who worked for Green Builders also worked for Amin Electrical, a detail that helped investigators map the underpayments. NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura, quoted in the release, said the agency collaborated on the inquiry and that recovering wages is essential for workers and communities.
Guilty Pleas Underscore a Broader Pattern
Earlier reporting found a criminal element tied to the project: two Green Builders operators pleaded guilty in 2024 to federal conspiracy to commit wire fraud and were sentenced to probation, according to THE CITY. Advocates and watchdog reporting have repeatedly warned that debarment and stricter vendor vetting are needed because wage-theft violators can still win public contracts, a pattern documented in past coverage by ProPublica.
What Comes Next for Hunts Point Workers
The comptroller's office says recovered wages, interest and penalties will be distributed to affected workers and that the settlement also includes civil penalties payable to the city. Investigators listed staff who worked on the case and provided a press contact for follow-up at [email protected]. The settlements are the latest sign that city enforcement is leaning on both financial penalties and debarment to deter payroll fraud on taxpayer-funded projects.
