Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office says two twin brothers and their company have been indicted in what prosecutors are calling the first case brought by the DA’s new Worker Protection Unit, accusing them of exploiting two Spanish-speaking day laborers on Harlem job sites last fall.
According to the indictment, the workers were hired for construction work, then allegedly denied agreed-upon wages and attacked when they pressed for their pay. Bragg’s office casts the case as part of a broader push to crack down on workplace exploitation in Manhattan.
Bragg announced the indictment in a post on X on Wednesday, calling it the Worker Protection Unit’s inaugural prosecution and linking to his office’s materials on the case. The post laid out the core allegations: the workers were allegedly shorted on pay and then threatened or assaulted after asking to be paid.
What prosecutors allege
Prosecutors say the defendants are twin brothers Gzim and Lulzim Shabaj and their company, 3 Brothers GC Corp. The brothers allegedly hired two Spanish-speaking day laborers in the fall of 2022 for roofing, painting and electrical work, then stopped paying them after about a month.
According to court documents reported by amNewYork, things escalated in September when the workers demanded their wages. One worker was allegedly punched and cut with a knife. Another worker’s paycheck allegedly bounced. Prosecutors say about $6,150 in wages were withheld in total.
Unit’s early work and the Stolen Wage Fund
The Worker Protection Unit launched in early 2023 to investigate and prosecute wage theft and other forms of workplace exploitation. Bragg paired it with a Stolen Wage Fund, which is designed to reimburse victims once criminal cases are resolved.
The fund has already been tapped to repay midtown construction workers roughly $50,000, according to reporting by the New York Daily News.
Charges and next steps
The Shabaj brothers and 3 Brothers GC Corp. are charged with scheme to defraud and failure to secure compensation. One of the brothers also faces assault-related counts, according to local coverage from 1010 WINS.
The indictment will proceed through New York State criminal court. Prosecutors have not yet publicly released arraignment or trial dates.
Where workers can get help
The DA’s office is urging anyone who believes they are a victim of wage theft or workplace abuse to call the Worker Protection Unit hotline at 646-712-0298. That number is documented in reporting from Documented.
Advocates and the DA’s office say many workers still hesitate to report abuse because of fears about immigration enforcement and language barriers. In its public materials, the Worker Protection Unit stresses outreach to vulnerable communities and states that it does not cooperate with immigration authorities.
Both prosecutors and worker advocates say this first indictment under the new unit is intended to send a clear message that wage theft is a serious offense. They also say the true test will be whether more workers feel safe enough to come forward as the case moves through the courts.
