Fifteen gas stations in Nassau, Suffolk and Bronx counties must pay their former employees more than $1 million in back wages after a federal investigation found they were paid less than minimum wage and not compensated for overtime over a three-year period, authorities said.
The U.S. Department of Labor said its investigation found that companies owned by Jagjit Singh – which operate under brands such as BP, Mobil and Sunoco – failed to pay overtime to more than 100 employees between 2015 and 2018. These included employees who often worked well over 40 hours a week and some who worked more than 85 hours a week.
Instead, Singh paid the normal hourly wage, even though the required overtime rates were owed, the department said.
While the Labor Department did not disclose where Singh lives, it said he is the owner of all 15 gas stations.
According to court documents, the gas stations include:
- Sunoco at 136 N. Wellwood Ave. in Lindenhurst
- Sunoco Food Mart at 150 Fulton St. in Farmingdale
- Mobile at 278 W. Main St. in Smithtown
- Sunoco at 720 Hillside Ave. in New Hyde Park
- Mobile at 635 E. Main St. in Kings Park
- BP at 771 Peninsula Blvd. in Hempstead
- Euro Gas at 848 Willis Ave. at Albertsons
- Sunoco at 85 N. Main St. in Freeport
- 24-hour convenience store at 105 Sheridan Blvd. in Inwood
- Sunoco at 20 Sheridan Blvd. in Inwood
- JTP at 139 Jericho Tpke. in Floral Park
- US Petroleum at 1575 Rte. 112 in Port Jefferson
- MBB at 1881 Tremont Avenue in the Bronx
- Sunoco at 3305 E. Tremont Ave. in the Bronx
- Sunoco at 820 E.182nd St. in the Bronx
In addition, some workers received less than the legal minimum wage of $7.25.
In addition, Singh did not keep payroll records, a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the investigation found. Some stations had no or incomplete records before 2017.
Based on the investigation, the Department of Justice’s Bar filed suit in U.S. District Court in March 2022.
“As the owner of 15 gas stations, Jagjit Singh intentionally and illegally deprived over 100 employees and their families of their hard-earned wages,” said David An, district director of the Wage and Hour Division. “The back wages collected, as well as the damages and penalties awarded, send a clear message to all employers that willful disregard of federal law will have costly consequences.”
In addition to requiring Singh and his companies to pay $549,673 in back wages and damages, the ruling also required the employers to pay the agency a fine of $75,655 for the willful violations.
Singh could not immediately be reached for comment.
