By Khalida Sarwari
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has filed felony charges against four employees of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning installation company accused of taking wages from their workers.
The men were employees of San Andreas HVAC Inc., a Hollister-based commercial and residential heating, ventilation and air conditioning installation contractor. They are suspected of participating in a kickback wage scheme in Santa Clara County, including Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall, from August 2004 to January 2007 that resulted in more than $170,000 in kickbacks, according to the district attorney’s office.
All four suspects have been charged with seven violations for taking and receiving the wages of a worker.
The defendants are Antonio Salas, 44, of Los Banos; Raul Paul Gonzalez, 45, of Hollister; Carlos Nunez Ramos, 41, of Hollister; and Ramiro Nunez Ramos, 40, of Hollister.
Carlos Ramos is also charged with 13 counts of perjury for falsely reporting wages paid on a public works payroll reporting firm, as well as a violation of workers’ compensation insurance premium fraud, according to the district attorney’s office. If convicted on all charges, Ramos faces a maximum of 24 years and eight months in state prison.
Gonzalez is charged with one violation of making a false or fraudulent statement to discourage a worker from claiming benefits or pursuing a workers’ compensation claim, the district attorney’s office said. Gonzalez faces a maximum of 12 years and eight months in state prison.
Salas and Ramiro Ramos face up to nine years in state prison if convicted on all charges. All four defendants are also required to pay restitution to the employees and insurance carriers.
They will appear in court on March 2 to set a preliminary hearing date.