California Executives Face Insurance Fraud, Wage Theft Charges

They are also accused of underpaying at least $437,542 to their 34 employees who debone and package chicken.

"Wage theft takes hard-earned money away from working people and their families," District Attorney Gascón said in a statement. "Unfair business practices like these affect not just workers but also hurt our community by putting law-abiding employers at a competitive disadvantage."

The defendants, both residents of Arcadia, each face 43 felony counts, including: two counts of conspiracy to commit wage theft, 34 counts of grand theft of labor and six counts of insurance fraud. They also face two misdemeanor counts of wage theft.

The complaint also includes a special allegation of theft exceeding $500,000.

"These business owners not only allegedly underreported payroll to illegally save on workers' compensation insurance, they also failed to pay their employees for their hard work," California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said in the statement. "Workers' compensation fraud can lead to higher insurance premiums for employers who follow the rules and may ultimately hurt workers who are legitimately injured on the job."

The couple is scheduled to be arraigned March 29 at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.