Squirrel Hill Restaurant and Owner Sentenced for Unfair Labor Practices

PITTSBURGH – Sun Penang, Inc., a Pittsburgh restaurant and itsOwner have been sentenced in federal court on a conviction of falsifying, concealing, or covering up by trick, scheme, or device a material fact, and, on behalf of the business, on willfully violating the Fair Labor Standard Act, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.

Senior United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose imposed the sentence on Hsiao Yen Wu, a/k/a Sophia Wu, age 40, of Pittsburgh and Sun Penang, Inc., located at 5829 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh. Wu was sentenced to three years probation to include eight months of home detention. Both Wu and Sun Penang were ordered to pay restitution of $35,388.97 joint and severally.

According to information presented to the court, after Sun Penang had agreed to pay back wage payments, Wu represented that Sun Penang had issued all back wage payments checks and provided faxed copies of these checks to the Department of Labor. However, Wu knew that the employees were not paid back wage payments because these employees were required either to deposit the checks into Wu's personal bank account or to work without pay until Sun Penang recouped the wages. Sun Penang failed to pay minimum wages and overtime pay to their employees from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.

Assistant United States Attorney Shardul S. Desai prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Acting United States Attorney Song commended the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the Wage and Hour Division for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Wu and Sun Penang, Inc.