Florida Construction News staff writer
The owner of a Tampa-based wood-framing construction company was was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to a widespread fraud scheme and the death of a worker, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
Manual Domingos Pita, 50, of Wesley Chapel, was also ordered to forfeit more than $5.5 million in assets, including numerous real properties and cash, and pay over $55 million in restitution. Pita, who owned and operated Domingos 54 Construction, a subcontracting company for wood framing in new homes, pleaded guilty on July 9, 2024, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and willful violation of workplace safety standards.
Court documents revealed that between 2018 and 2022, Pita ran a fraudulent scheme in which he used his company as a shell to hire undocumented workers, failing to provide required workers’ compensation insurance.
Pita falsified insurance applications to cover fewer workers than employed, leading to a loss of more than $22.7 million in premiums for insurers. the court heard. Also, he evaded paying over $33.7 million in federal employment taxes on wages earned by the workers.
]Despite receiving six citations between February and July 2019 for failure to provide fall protection, Pita continued to ignore safety requirements. In March 2020, he assigned a worker and three others to install sheeting on a residential roof in unsafe, windy conditions without the required fall-protection gear. The worker was blown off the roof and died from his injuries.
“The defendant’s reckless disregard for worker safety, compounded by his fraudulent activities, led to a tragic loss of life,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson. “We are committed to prosecuting fraud and ensuring workplace safety.”
“The extensive fraud scheme and deliberate violations of safety laws resulted in devastating financial losses and a preventable death,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney. “My office remains committed to holding accountable those who violate laws intended to protect both workers and taxpayers.”
Matthew Fodor, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office, emphasized the agency’s commitment to pursuing those who disregard laws meant to protect the workforce.
“Mr. Pita’s repeated violations directly led to a tragedy, and we will continue to work with our partners to aggressively pursue individuals who exploit workers and break the law,” Fodor said.
Pita’s scheme involved not only illegal labor practices but also undermined fair competition, according to Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office. He called the case a “blatant form of cheating” that undermined both government tax revenue and immigration laws.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Bureau of Insurance Fraud-Criminal Investigations, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay L. Hoffer and Senior Trial Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.
