Nassau County District Attorney Donnelly announced her office has uncovered more than $2 million in theft through multiple labor investigations and prosecutions since the start of the year Tuesday. She said her office has returned more than $450,000 to 80 Nassau County workers who were victimized by companies that failed to pay proper wages.
Donnelly credited the “diligence and determination” of prosecutors in the Major Financial Frauds Bureau. “But this is not just about dollars and cents,” Donnelly said. “It’s about justice for the hardworking men and women of Nassau County who were taken advantage of by heartless crooks.”
Leaders of various organizations and unions, including the Department of Labor, Laborers Local 66, the Insurance Fund and the Federation of Labor praised Donnelly’s work.
“Blue collar workers in Nassau County are lucky to have a leader like District Attorney Anne Donnelly fighting to protect them,” Anthony Villa, business manager and president of Carpenters Local Union 290, said. “These crimes are intentional, systematic and widespread, deeply embedded in the underground economy that fuels worker exploitation and undermines New York State taxpayers.”
Donnelly announced the arrests of multiple individuals and companies for alleged crimes including wage theft and workers compensation theft.
On Sept. 8, 2025, Jason Sichel and Neil Sims, co-owners of Timeless Body II, LLC, a medical spa in Garden City, were arraigned, along with the company, on grand larceny; scheme to defraud, failure to pay wages and willful failure to pay contributions.
Sichel and Sims allegedly told two prospective employees they would be required to pay $6,000 each for training toward certificates to be hired, but did not provide training when each paid. Once employed, the victims were allegedly tasked with performing procedures for which they did not have proper training. The defendants also allegedly failed to pay the women for their work over a three-week period.
The DA’s investigation also found that the company and both owners failed to register with the New York State Department of Labor and failed to contribute to the fund for unemployment insurance.
In total, Sichel and Sims are charged with more than $16,000 in theft.
The defendants pleaded not guilty and are due back in court on Sept. 19. They each face up to seven years in prison if convicted.
Detective investigators also arrested and charged a Rockville Centre business owner, Mahendranauth Khargie, and his Queens-based iron and erection construction company, GC Stud Inc. on Sept. 4 in an alleged $1.5 million workers compensation scheme.
Both Khargie and his company were arraigned on charges of grand larceny, insurance fraud, failure to secure compensation under the New York Workers’ Compensation Law and fraudulent practices under the law.
Khargie allegedly maintained a hidden bank account that he had not reported to premium auditors during their legally required annual audits during three policy periods. Throughout the alleged scheme, Khargie underreported his payroll to NYSIF by more than $3.5 million, resulting in underpayments of the company’s policy premiums of $1.54 million.
Khargie pleaded not guilty and is due back in court Sept. 17. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Donnelly vowed to continue to pursue every lead to ensure victims of labor crimes “get the pay and protections that they rightfully deserve.”
