Trucking company owner charged with stealing from employees
William Michael Martin, 60, of Gainesboro, TN, was indicted by a grand jury last week on two counts of theft over $10,000 for allegedly stealing funds withheld from employees’ pay for retirement and health benefits, according to a report in the Herald-Citizen.
Martin, former owner of Songbird Trucking Company, Algood, TN, was arrested and is accused of withholding, by not paying in, funds from employees’ pay for a 401K plan and for health insurance.
Deputy District Attorney Tony Craighead said the case came to the attention of the U.S. Dept. of Labor after employees filed complaints that they had no 401K or health insurance, even though funds had been withheld from their pay for those purposes.
The indictment alleges that between January of 2008 and April of 2009, Martin “unlawfully and knowingly exercised control over” more than $20,000 belonging to Songbird 401K and the Songbird Health Corp., a self-funded insurance program for employees.
Martin is to be arraigned in criminal court on Nov. 13.
