Catalina Island business owner ordered to pay $1.5 million in unpaid wages to restaurant and hotel staff

A Catalina Island restaurant and hotel owner was ordered to pay $1.5 million in unpaid wages to dozens of employees this month, after she pleaded no contest to charges including filing false and fraudulent returns and conspiracy to commit wage theft.

According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Yueh Mei Tucey, also known as Nora Tucey, delivered the money in the form of a check during a restitution and sentencing hearing on Monday. On Sept. 15, she pleaded no contest to seven felony counts of filing false and fraudulent returns, six felony counts of failure to pay taxes and one felony count of conspiracy to commit wage theft.

"This significant restitution payment represents hundreds of hours in unpaid labor, where vulnerable victims, many of whom were immigrants, were exploited for years at hotels and restaurants while being grossly underpaid far below what is legally mandated by the California Labor Code," said LA County DA Nathan J. Hochman. "This case resulted in not just a conviction, but economic justice for the victims, many of whom have been waiting nearly two decades to be paid the wages they are owed for their hard work. We look forward to working with our partners to disburse the funds to the victims."

Tucey's husband, Jack, was also charged back in Nov. 2023, but he died just one month later. The couple owned eight hotels and restaurants on the island, and also owned several apartments. Many employees of theirs were also their tenants, the DAs Office said, making them vulnerable, "as Tucey maintained a policy that workers would have to vacate the rental if their employment ended."

The DA's Office said the California Labor Commissioner's Office investigation revealed that the Tuceys used aliases on payroll to hide overtime hours worked, and even spread out shifts for employees across multiple businesses on the same day.

CBS LA investigated claims in 2024, when one former employee said he often worked days of up to 16 hours for the couple.

"This case began with a call to our public information line. These workers had the courage to speak up and report violations, and their actions helped make this outcome possible. This $1.5 million recovery is an important step toward getting money back to the workers who earned it," said California Labor Commissioner Lilia García-Brower. "I am grateful for our partnership with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and other enforcement partners who worked with us to hold unscrupulous employers accountable. Workers deserve to be paid for every hour they work, and we will continue to use every tool available to protect their rights and recover the wages they are owed."