Pittsburgh PA July 5 2013 A company owned by a Carnegie businessman whose dealings with Pittsburgh police helped touch off a federal investigation now faces a second possible class-action suit from some current and former employees.
A former road supervisor for Victory Security Agency claims the company illegally avoids paying overtime through a bookkeeping practice.
Mark A. Thomas of Pittsburgh says in the proposed federal class-action lawsuit filed on Tuesday that he worked for Victory Security for six years. He and more than 100 others weren't paid overtime because the company didn't combine hours they worked at different sites in the same week, the lawsuit says.
Thomas' lawyer, Gary Lynch, couldn't be reached for comment.
Thomas is suing Victory Security Agency L.P., Victory Security Agency Inc., Victory Security Agency II LLC and Victory Security Agency III LLC.
The lawsuit says Arthur Bedway owned and controlled those companies until recently when Aaron Kellington, president of Victory Security Agency III, bought the subsidiary and converted it to Kellington Protection Service LLC. The name changed on Dec. 17, according to Department of State records.
A spokesman for Kellington couldn't be reached, nor could Anthony Patterson, the lawyer who handles Bedway's civil cases.
A pending federal class-action lawsuit against Victory Security claims the company requires employees to work without pay before and after regular shifts by having them do such things as check equipment and meet with supervisors. The company denies it required employees to work without pay.
A grand jury indicted Bedway, 63, of Robinson in November on seven charges, conspiracy, bribing a city official and five counts of mail fraud. Prosecutors say Bedway in 2006 set up Alpha Outfitters LLC as a female-owned business so he could obtain a city contract to install computers in police cruisers. He paid a city official to help him rig the bid, prosecutors say.
His lawyer in the case, Martin Dietz, has said Bedway and prosecutors are negotiating details of a guilty plea.
An investigation of the contract led to an investigation of the Mayor Luke Ravenstahl administration and city police department. A grand jury in February indicted former police Chief Nate Harper, 60, of Stanton Heights for using public money for personal expenses and failing to file income tax returns.
Harper's attorneys have said he intends to plead guilty and is cooperating with investigators.
source-triblive.com