A federal judge ordered American Made Bags LLC in Akron and its owner to pay a total of $189,756 – $94,893 in back wages and an equal amount in damages – to 48 employees after two separate federal investigations found numerous allegedly illegal pay practices.

In the first investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found the employer allegedly misclassified several employees as independent contractors and failed to pay both misclassified and other employees accurate overtime wages at time-and-one-half an employee’s hourly rate of pay. The employer also allegedly failed to maintain required wage records.

Following that investigation, American Made Bags agreed to pay $47,457 in back wages due to 38 employees but allegedly failed to complete all payments as agreed.

In the second investigation, division investigators found the company allegedly again in violation of overtime rules. The employer allegedly also initially misrepresented his pay practices to investigators. In the second investigation, investigators found $46,797 due 24 employees.

The department first filed suit against the company on April 17, 2019 and filed an amended complaint on Jan. 27, 2021. On Feb. 15, 2022, U.S. Circuit Court Judge Benita Y. Pearson of the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division issued her opinion and an injunction against American Made Bags LLC and its owner Thomas W. Armour, II for allegedly violating the Fair Labor Standards Act repeatedly.

“Employers must...

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