BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - An asbestos, lead and mold abatement company will pay $27,000 in fines and restitution for allegedly not paying its employees properly, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has announced.

Safe Environment of America, Inc., and Todd M. Scyocurka, its president, were cited by Coakley's office for violating the state's prevailing wage, payroll records keeping and wage laws. The violations are related to lead abatement work that the company performed from June 2007-April 2008 at the Fall River Housing Authority Pleasant view Building Modernization public works project.

"Particularly in today's economy, it is critical that employees are properly compensated for the hours that they work," Coakley said.

"Our office is committed to enforcing the state's wage and hour laws, both to safeguard the rights of hardworking men and women, and to ensure a level playing field for businesses who do play by the rules."

A complaint was received by Coakley's Fair Labor Division in July 2009 from a former Safe Environment employee who alleges that he had not been paid for work performed for the company.

Investigators from Coakley's office claim that the company had intentionally failed to pay the prevailing wage to six employees.

Coakley's office cited Safe Environment and Scyocurka after the discovery. The citation ordered Safe Environment and Scyocurka to pay $1,481.39 in restitution to the six employees and a $2,000 fine to Massachusetts.