Westech Security and Investigation Inc., a security firm with offices across three states, abruptly shut down its Throggs Neck office on Sept. 10, leaving angry employees gathered outside demanding unpaid wages.
Workers, many of whom earned $16 per hour as security guards for residential and commercial landlords, were shocked by the closure and frustrated by the lack of communication from company leadership. They demanded their wages and said they were struggling to pay their bills.
Employees had been told to go to the office at 3040 East Tremont Ave. at noon on Sept. 10 to pick up paychecks — which were actually replacements for Aug. 30 checks that bounced, said Sherelle Carter, 42, who worked with Westech for about nine months. Carter said she kept working despite the bad checks, even pulling a double shift (16 hours) on Sept. 9, figuring she’d have no problem getting a new paycheck.
But when employees arrived, they found the office door locked and a sign outside saying the office was “temporarily closed.”
“We are committed to keeping everyone informed and will provide updates as they become available. … we are working diligently to resume normal operations as soon as possible,” the note said.
But the closure will be more than temporary, said Westech owner and CEO William Vassell, who spoke to the Bronx Times via phone on Sept. 11.
Vassell said the company will close at 5 p.m. on Sept. 12. He acknowledged that his company’s inability to make payroll — which he blamed on a lack of timely payments from the city — is “the worst thing you can do.”
On Tuesday, with the Throggs Neck office shut, an upset crowd of employees formed outside of the building, where District 13 Council Member Kristy Marmorato also has an office. Westech’s manager, Sean Hinds, was inside, and when he left, the group accosted him to demand answers. Some took video on their cell phones as NYPD officers arrived to quell the crowd and escort Hinds to his car across the street.
Gonzalez said he was unpleasantly surprised by the police presence. “It was aggressive talking, loud shouting, but no violence,” he said.
The Bronx Times spoke to Hinds on Sept. 12. He said he’s now out of work as well, having resigned on Sept. 10. Hinds said although he did not have a full explanation for employees outside the office, he gave out phone numbers of company leadership and has always “tried my hardest for everyone.”
“I’m nothing but middle management,” Hinds said.
He told the Bronx Times he personally lended money to some guards in the past and tried to get leadership to better address the crisis. And like the guards, Hinds said he kept working even when recent paychecks bounced — because the owner always made it seem like money was coming and things were under control.
But the company was worse off than he and the guards were fully aware of, said Hinds. And outside the office, with no answers and no checks, the workers were angry.
“I got bills, I got my kid. Today is my son’s birthday,” said Christian Palacio of the Bronx, 43, who worked with the company for three years.
Workers were especially upset because the company had told them to keep showing up to their shifts. They were “trying to be loyal” to Westech — but in retrospect, there were signs of trouble brewing, said Antonio Gonzalez, 46. For instance, employees could never cash a check the same day it was received; they were always told to wait a day or two.
“It felt like a scam that whole time,” Gonzalez said.
The employees — many of whom were missing two paychecks — were already starting to become financially desperate. Davina Roache, a Westech employee who spoke to the Bronx Times via phone, said the company owes her $960 — and her bank account is already in the red.
“I’m going through hell right now,” Roache said.
Trouble for Westech
It appears that Westech, like the employees it left hanging, is also in debt — and on a massive scale.
A search of court records showed big trouble for Westech — and Vassell personally — as they face lawsuits in the State Supreme Courts of New York and Nassau counties. Vassell told the Bronx Times the New York county case was tossed out, but records still indicate it is open.
Edward Feighan, the second-highest shareholder in Westech, sued on Aug. 27, 2024 in the Supreme Court of New York, accusing Vassell of “running the company into the ground and [having] no concern whether it remains viable or not.” The attorney for the plaintiff did not respond to Bronx Times’ email or voicemail.
According to the complaint and Feighan’s affidavit, the plaintiff is seeking tens of millions of dollars in debts and damages from Westech — and Vassall personally — for breach of contract and multiple other offenses. It claims the company is in financial freefall, owing over $2 million in federal and state payroll taxes. It even details a $275,000 sexual harassment settlement agreed to by Vassall despite a lack of funds and accuses Vassall of abusive and inappropriate text messages to the plaintiff.
Vassell said about half of Westech’s guards work for city shelters — and that the city is months behind on payments to the company. At times, the city pays four to six months late, he said. He also said any current lawsuits against the company likely stem from his inability to pay back high-interest loans borrowed in the past.
A Sept. 11 search of federal Department of Labor data showed that Westech has 58 violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act between April 2019 and March 2021. When asked about the violations, Vassell said, “When you have hundreds of employees, you’re going to get these from time to time” and said not all complaints are accurate.
But not making payroll is the biggest problem — and it wasn’t just the guards, he said. Vassell said that no one in the company — including the manager, comptroller and himself — is fully paid up. He also acknowledged that it is especially tough for guards, who are likely living paycheck to paycheck.
“Believe me, the last thing we wanted to see was this happening,” Vassell said.
The Bronx Times reached out to the state Department of Labor, who said they are gathering information based on some complaints filed. The department encourages all workers to keep detailed track of their start and end times and job sites, as well as documentation of any fees resulting from bounced checks. It also advised saving text messages, emails and other communications from employers regarding pay. Complaints can be submitted online at this link.
Employees in need
Westech employees said they are left with little hope of recouping what they’re owed anytime soon. Vassell said it should still be possible to pay them back, but it will take months. And meanwhile, their problems aren’t going away.
Palacio and Gonzalez both said they owe child support — and fear the courts won’t care about what’s happening with Westech.
“They don’t give a s – t if you can’t pay,” said Gonzalez.
Carmen Ortiz, 38, said she lives in low-income housing in Harlem, and now that her rent is behind by a month, the landlord is calling and leaving letters on her door.
Ortiz worked with Westech for less than a year, but she said she enjoyed the work — as did most of the others. She even hoped to move up in the company to a role in fire safety assessment. “It’s not happening now,” she said.
AJay Garcia, a 21-year-old Bronxite, had also recently started with the company. Now, “I’m stuck just like everyone else,” he said.
Garcia now owes money to friends, and the refrigerator in the apartment he shares with his mother is “looking poor,” he said. He also spoke about the shame of waiting in line, attempting to cash a check and being told it’s no good. “You know how embarrassing that is?”
Carmen Delgado, who also lives in the Bronx, said she is supporting a son in college and, because of the missing checks, has no money to pay for gas and her cell phone bill. But she carried a piece of paper where dozens of employees had written their contact information — and said they will organize and explore the possibility of a lawsuit.
“I pay a mortgage, so they’re playing with my money,” she said.
Carter said it has been a month since she last cashed a paycheck. “I don’t know how I’m gonna move forward.”
Her savings are almost depleted because the two missing checks were supposed to replenish them — and she is now stuck borrowing money from family and friends, she said.
“I get up every day and work hard,” never imagining she would end up in such a deep hole, said Carter. “Something has to be done.”
This story was updated on Sept. 12 at 10:30 a.m. to include response from Westech manager Sean Hinds and the New York State Department of Labor.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
