Business owners plead guilty to comp charges

A Columbus-area business owner with a criminal history against the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation pleaded guilty to failure to carry workers’ compensation coverage on his asphalt paving business, the Ohio BWC announced Friday.

James T. Wilson Jr., 52, of New Albany, Ohio, pleaded guilty on Nov. 19 in a Columbus courtroom to a second-degree misdemeanor count of failure to comply after state investigators found him operating Performance Companies LLC/Enviro Recycling Group without workers comp coverage, the bureau reported.

The plea comes nine years after Mr. Wilson’s first charge when he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony theft and was ordered to pay the bureau more than $180,000 in restitution, according to a statement.

“We attempted to work with Mr. Wilson to bring his business into compliance with Ohio law, but ultimately we had to go with this course of action,” Jim Wernecke, director of the special investigations department for the bureau, said in the statement. “I can’t say this enough to employers in our system: If you’re struggling with your BWC premiums, reach out to our agency and work with us. Don’t risk a criminal conviction.”

The bureau says it is now auditing Mr. Wilson’s business records.

Meanwhile, the owner of a food warehouse and market in Cleveland also pleaded guilty Nov. 13 to a first-degree misdemeanor charge of workers compensation fraud after he lapsed on a repayment plan related to his 2014 conviction on a similar charge, according to the statement.

Yue Liang, owner of New Sheng Hung, agreed to pay the bureau $5,500 toward the balance owed to the agency and an additional $2,000 in restitution. He was sentenced to one year of community control and ordered to bring his policy into compliance, according to the statement.