REDWOOD CITY — Two officers at a Pescadero hashish farm are accused of failing to pay greater than $200,000 in wages to their workers, in accordance with prosecutors.
Aaron Esquer Corrales of Rohnert Park and Roberto Ahmed Perez-Flores of Daly Metropolis, each 41, are charged with 16 felony counts of wage theft, San Mateo County District Legal professional Steve Wagstaffe mentioned.
The boys served as officers at Miles Forward Ventures, Esquer Corrales because the chief government and monetary officer and Perez-Flores because the secretary, in accordance with prosecutors. The corporate leased a farm within the metropolis of Pescadero to domesticate hashish.
Esquer Corrales and Perez-Flores allegedly didn’t pay 30 workers wages for work accomplished between Could 1, 2024, and Jan. 24. The wages owed individually to the victims ranged from $350 to $28,600.
Prosecutors mentioned the boys additionally didn’t safe a employees’ compensation insurance coverage coverage.
By Miles Forward Ventures, the boys allegedly housed employees in tents inside a rat-infested greenhouse with little greater than a transportable bathroom and a small cooking range.
“The failure to pay wages to poor farmworkers while housing them in deplorable conditions is both offensive and illegal,” Wagstaffe mentioned. “Our goal is to hold these two defendants accountable and make them pay restitution for the money they stole from these vulnerable victims.”
Perez-Flores appeared in courtroom Wednesday afternoon and pleaded not responsible to the costs, in accordance with Wagstaffe. The Non-public Defender Program was appointed to signify him.
Prosecutors mentioned Esquer Corrales is in custody in Marin County and awaiting transportation to San Mateo County.
Examine again for updates.
