The franchisee of six McDonald's restaurants in Erie County and one in Warren has paid $92,107 in civil penalties for violating child-labor laws over two years, the U.S. Department of Labor said.

The department said the Erie-based DuCharme Organization allowed 154 14- and 15-year-olds to work at unauthorized times and for too many hours per week over two years from June 2020 to June 2022.

The DuCharme Organization and its owner, Thomas DuCharme Jr., paid the penalties, the Department of Labor said in a news release.

The DuCharme Organization, which does business as TBLN LLC, "also assigned nine workers under age 16 to operate deep fryers in violation of federal law," the department said.

The department said the violations occurred at these McDonald's locations:

• 1115 Sassafras St., Erie — 13 workers affected.
• 2065 Interchange Road, Millcreek Township — 24 workers affected.
• 903 Peninsula Drive, Millcreek — 23 workers affected.
• 2529 Broad St., Erie — 29 workers affected.
• 4316 Buffalo Road, Harborcreek Township — 29 workers affected.
• 7200 Peach St., Summit Township — nine workers affected.
• 75 Market St., Warren — 27 workers affected.

The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division investigated the violations. According to the department, the DuCharme Organization allowed minors to work illegally by having them on the job:

• Before 7 a.m., more than 3 hours per day and after 7 p.m. on school days.
• Later than 9 p.m. on days between June 1 and Labor Day, when they may legally...

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