(ST. PAUL, Minn.) – The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry has filed a lawsuit accusing trucking firms LME INC, Finish Line Express and Lakeville Motor Express of fraud and wage theft. This comes just over two months after Lakeville Motor Express closed, laying off 95 workers with no notice three days before Thanksgiving.

Tom Erickson, President of Teamsters Local 120 which represents the 95 laid-off employees, sees this as an important first step.

“We appreciate the hard work of the Department in investigating this case. Our members were literally left out in the cold,” Erickson said.

The suit alleges that Kevin Deming, Roger Wilsey, Shari Taylor Wilsey, Michael and Nancy Sanford, Travis and Jennifer Hoeschen, owners and executives of Lakeville and sister companies LME/FLE, fraudulently transferred Lakeville assets to LME/FLE, and demands that over $300,000 in stolen wages and penalties be paid.

“These executives robbed 95 hardworking, middle class families of wages they had earned. We are pleased to see that the state has taken the next step toward holding these companies accountable,” said Bill Wedebrand, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 120.

Teamsters Local 120 proudly represents 11,500 members in the states of Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota. We serve members in a variety of industries, from freight, airline, warehousing, and foodservice in the private sector, to police officers and city workers in the public sector. Our local union negotiates industry-leading contracts, and defends our members’ rights every day.

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