California Man Posing As State Labor Investigator Sentenced To 16 Months In Prison

Los Angeles, CA  (CompNewsNetwork) - Officials of the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE/Labor Commissioner’s Office) announced today that an Alhambra man who allegedly attempted to extort money from his former employer by posing as a deputy state labor commissioner has plead no contest to obtaining funds through false pretenses. He was sentenced to16 months in state prison by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa B. Lench.

Gabriel Holguin, 30, was arrested in November 2007, after he posed as a deputy labor commissioner and demanded money by email and phone calls from his former employer, Jayco Acceptance Corp. According to investigators, Holguin tried to force the company to pay him $600 for hours worked or legal action would be taken against the company.

"We can not allow the fraudulent impersonation of a state investigator to undermine the trust we need to work fairly and effectively with employers and employees." said Labor Commissioner Angela Bradstreet. "We have zero tolerance for this type of activity and will work closely with authorities to prosecute any person who extorts money from employers wile posing as a state official."

The DLSE adjudicates wage claims, investigates discrimination and public works complaints, and enforces state labor law and Industrial Welfare Commission wage orders. To learn more about the functions of the California Labor Commissioner, visit our web site at www.dir.ca.gov/dlse. Employees that have work-related questions or complaints can call the California Workers’ Information Hotline at 1-866-924-9757.

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