EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — An El Paso daycare operator has pleaded guilty to four felony wage theft charges after repeatedly paying an employee with checks that bounced, according to the El Paso County Attorney’s Office.
Antonio Resendiz, 43, was ordered to serve three years of deferred adjudication and pay $2,195.99 in restitution in connection with unpaid wages owed to an employee of Mini-Miracles Day Care and Learning Center.
The case stemmed from Resendiz’s failure to pay the employee for work performed during four pay periods ending in late 2024.
According to the County Attorney’s Office, the employee received multiple checks that were returned for insufficient funds and eventually reported the unpaid wages to law enforcement.
The sentence was handed down by 327th District Judge Monique Velarde Reyes following a criminal investigation.
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El Paso County Attorney Christina Sanchez said the case underscores that employers can face criminal consequences for failing to pay workers.
“Paying workers is not optional,” Sanchez said, adding that wage theft can threaten the financial stability of working families. She also credited the El Paso Police Department for its investigation of the case.
Sanchez encouraged workers who have not received wages they earned to report the matter, regardless of their citizenship status.
“We want the community to know that we are here to help and that no worker should ever be afraid to come forward,” Sanchez said.
Wage theft occurs when an employer fails to pay earned wages, including overtime.
Workers who believe they have not been paid for work performed in El Paso County are advised to first contact their local law enforcement agency. They may also contact the El Paso County Attorney’s Office at 915-273-3238.
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