Letters

I write to correct the inaccurate and false statements made by District Attorney Raymond Tierney in his press release wherein he announced that my company and I were charged with certain alleged criminal conduct concerning payment of our employees.

The first, most glaring and prejudicial misstatement is that I “pocketed money” that should have gone to my employees. I did not, nor did anyone, “pocket” money belonging to employees. The amount representing that which is allegedly owed to our workers is being held, with our consent, by the Town of Brookhaven, pending the resolution of this dispute.

The charges in the indictment are the product of an ongoing dispute with the State Department of Labor for the last several years over whether some of our employees should have been paid as “dockbuilders” rather than laborers on a project for restoring the dock at Brookhaven’s Davis Park Marina during 2018.

Four employees were, in fact, paid as dockbuilders, given that they occupied a central role in the building of the dock. When all the facts finally come out, it will be clear that just because a laborer did work on a dock project, it did not make him a dockbuilder deserving of the commensurate pay.

The district attorney further charges that there was a nefarious scheme to cheat two employees who operated cranes of their rightful pay. However, he omitted to state that one of the employees was my son, who is an engineer and works as a project manager, and the other was one of my partners in our business. Neither expected to be paid for their occasional use of a crane, since both were well compensated as company executives. Neither was cheated of any compensation, nor did they complain. The accusation by the D.A. that I would cheat my son and business partner is patently absurd and a distortion of the facts.

I started my business 38 years ago in Suffolk County, where I continue to reside with my wife and family. We are, and have always been, a reliable, respected and honest employer. We’re proud of the work we have performed on both public and private construction projects and have never been accused of underpaying employee wages or hours.

As a lifelong member of this community who, in all my 65 years, has never been arrested or charged with a crime, I have great respect for our laws and those who enforce them. As such, I believe that I will receive a fair opportunity in a courtroom to prove our innocence and maintain our hard-earned reputation.

While we do so, we will continue as the vibrant, growing small business committed to our employees and the communities we serve.

Robert Terry

President

Terry Contracting & Materials Inc.

Riverhead