AG to recover $750,000 in stolen wages from Best Wireless chain

A local chain of cellphone stores and its former owner have been ordered to pay back $750,000 in stolen wages to past and present employees following an investigation by the New York Attorney General’s Office.

Best Wireless, formerly a certified retailer for Verizon, and former owner Nishant Garg retaliated against employees who voiced complaints and stole worker wages, according to an investigation by the office of Letitia James, the state attorney general. The investigation found that the company’s violations impacted about 450 workers from January 2020 through December 2023, legal documents show.

Attorneys for Garg did not respond to requests seeking comment. Garg sold his ownership of the chain "on or about September 15” this month, according to those documents.

Best Wireless, which has 29 locations across Long Island, New York City and Rockland County, was found to have committed "numerous labor violations over several years," James' office said.

On the Island, Garg owned Best Wireless locations at 614 Jericho Tpke., New Hyde Park; 90 E. Main St., Patchogue; and 6245 Route 25A, Wading River.

"Every worker should receive the fair treatment and full compensation they have earned and deserve," James said in a statement. "Best Wireless refused to provide this to hundreds of employees, threatening their livelihoods and flagrantly violating the laws designed to keep New York workers safe."

Verizon has terminated its relationship with the local chain, according to James' office.

Among the investigation’s findings were that Garg and Best Wireless illegally deducted employee wages for lost, stolen and missing merchandise; refused to pay overtime pay; charged workers for uniforms and background checks; and failed to provide workers’ breaks.

In addition to back wages, Garg must also report to the attorney general’s office if he serves in a senior management or ownership role for another company for a period of three years.

In 2022, a district manager for Best Wireless in TriBeCa filed a complaint with Verizon’s corporate office to report issues of pay deductions and lack of breaks and overtime pay. The manager was fired the next day, and was threatened with a cease-and-desist letter from the company, according to James’ office.

The district manager later received additional threats of legal action from the former employer before the person brought the case to the Legal Aid Society, who referred the issue to James’ office.

"We are returning this money to the employees who earned it," James said. "I will always stand up to greedy employers who cheat workers out of their hard-earned money."

The recovered wages are expected to be disbursed to impacted employees, past and present, within the next six months, according to the attorney general’s office.