Plaintiffs v Scottsboro-based Maples Industries, Inc.
Scottsboro-based Maples Industries, Inc. Faces Class-Action Suit
A class-action lawsuit alleging violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act has been filed against officers and employees of Scottsboro-based Maples Industries, Inc.
The suit, which alleges the defendants conspired to depress wages by hiring large numbers of illegal immigrants, was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Northern Division on behalf of Audrey Broussard-Wadkins and Darlene Harbin and all those similarly situated.
The action alleges that the defendants, all employees of Maples Industries, conspired to depress the Class wages by knowingly employing large numbers of illegal immigrants, in what the suit refers to as an illegal immigrant hiring scheme. Company CEO Wade Maples, John Maples, Mark Maples, Howard Moore and Gina Mateo are named as defendants.
The suit seeks preliminary and permanent injunctions barring the defendants from committing further racketeering activity, judgment equal to three times the damages caused by the alleged activity; attorney's fees; costs of the plaintiffs action; and other relief deemed just and proper by the court. It says the action is being "brought on behalf of all hourly-paid workers, legally authorized to be employed in the United States, who have been employed by Maples Industries, Inc....since 2005."
Under RICO any person who succeeds in successfully proving its claim automatically receives three times the amount of damages awarded, costs of litigation and attorney fees. Monetary damages are determined by establishing the amount legal worker's wages were depressed by the company use of illegal workers.
The suit claims Maples saved millions of dollars in labor costs by employing illegal immigrants. It further states the practice increased the company's profits and resulted in increased compensation for each person named as a defendant.
For more information please contact:
Howard W. Foster
Matthew A. Galin
Touhy, Touhy, Buehler & Williams, LLP
55 West Wacker Drive
Suite 1400
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Phone: (312) 372-2209
Email: jhalldin@touhylaw.com
