Workers Lose Jobs Days Before Christmas

LANGFORD - One of the executives of a Langford roofing company is charged with eight counts of fraud, while the company's employees have lost their jobs, and claim to be owed thousands of dollars in pay.
Workers arrived at Johnson Brothers Roofing Company on Monday morning, and were met with a locked door.

The employees received a letter that said company executives, Gary and Connie Johnson, didn't know how long the company would be closed and employees should seek other employment.

For former employee, Chris Robertson and his wife, Sonja are trying finding joy in the holidays but says it's suddenly become difficult.

When he saw the locks being changed at the business, Robertson knew something wasnt right.

"He (Gary Johnson) was changing all the locks on the doors and then that's when I basically knew something was up when I went to the shop, there was no trucks in the yard they were all gone. So that was when I knew something was really up," Robertson told /A\ News.

Robertson says Johnson Brothers, Ltd. owes him $3,000. He is just one of fifty employees who are now out of work.

Former employee, Derrick Wilsher says he's owed $6,000 - money he had been planning to spend on Christmas gifts for his two children. While he has already managed to find new work, he is worried for his many co-workers who are not so lucky.

"I'm pretty concerned for some of the guys in the company - the ones that live a little more paycheck to paycheck, and depend on these kind of finances to get themselves by. And they have families of their own. I'm definitely sad and worried about a lot of the guys I can't believe he could do this - something like this to - to all of us with families. They've really made a mess of our future," Wilsher said.

Former employee, Jay Smith is in a similar position to Wilsher, but had suspicions about the company when he says agents from Revenue Canada arrived at Johnson Brothers three weeks ago, and took several boxes of files.

Jay says that when he talked to the owner, "he ensured me straight-up that they're all false," and they'd be taken care of as early as Thursday. That was reassuring until the following day when he says he says the company locked them out, cancelled their cell phones and took back their trucks.

Court documents show the company is owned by Bianca Di Ulbaldo, but employees say the company was actually run by Gary and Connie Johnson.

/A\ News has learned Connie Johnson is facing eight counts of fraud from a year long Saanich police investigation.

Saanich Police Sgt. Julie Fast says the charges stem from unsupported mortgages that were received due to fabricated income and real estate documents.

Connie Johnson is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday to face the charges.

If you have more information on this story email us at islandnews@atv.ca or call 250-414-6510

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