The U.S. Department of Labor announced on Jan. 3 that it has recovered $1.6 million in back wages and liquidated damages from the owner of a chain of seven Los Angeles restaurants who denied 83 workers overtime wages and kept false pay records in an attempt to hide wage theft.

The department’s Wage and Hour Division found Prapai Boonyindee – owner of six establishments operating as Ocha Classic restaurant and one operating as Vim restaurant – intentionally did not pay the workers overtime and created false records showing they worked no overtime hours. Both actions violate the Fair Labor Standards Act. Ocha Classic Restaurant has locations at 3960 Beverly Blvd., 5187 Sunset Blvd. and 3914 W. Third St. in the East Hollywood area.

“Wage theft is used by unscrupulous restaurant industry employers to increase their bottom lines at the expense of some of our nation’s lowest paid workers,” said Jessica Looman, principal deputy administrator of the Wage and Hour Division. “We work tirelessly to recover hard-earned wages owed to workers like these, and employers who disregard workers’ rights accountable for their illegal pay practices and their attempt to mislead our investigators.”

In addition to recovering $825,775 in overtime back wages and an equal amount in damages, the division assessed $62,167 in civil money penalties for the willful nature of Boonyindee’s violations.

The Wage and Hour Division protects workers against retaliation and has regulations that prohibit harassment, intimidation and adverse actions against employees who assert their worker rights. For information, including how to file an online complaint, call (866)487-9243, or visit dol.gov/agencies/whd/contact/complaints.