CLEARFIELD – A State College man accused of underpaying his workers by over $64,000 was sentenced to serve time in jail Monday in Clearfield County Court.
Centre County contractor, Scott Cameron Good, 58, was charged after a grand jury investigation discovered he had underpaid his employees in wages and benefits for five years, according to a previous press release from Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
“The charges are the result of a 21-month Statewide Grand Jury investigation that originated from allegations of theft of wages and benefits from employees on a $16 million public works project in Clearfield County for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in 2014.”
The investigation found that Good and his company, Goodco Mechanical Inc. “violated prevailing wage laws by underpaying wages and claiming unlawful benefits credits on the Clearfield County PennDOT project, as well as other prevailing wage projects since at least 2010.”
Good agreed to plead guilty in March to five misdemeanor counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds for his actions between Oct. 1, 2014 and March 17, 2019 in Clearfield, Blair, Centre, Huntingdon, Lycoming and Allegheny counties.
In a second case, Good’s company, Goodco Mechanical Inc. is also charged with theft by failure to make required disposition of funds for the time period of Oct. 1, 2014 to March 17, 2019.
Monday President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman presided over a sentencing hearing where he stated that he had received numerous letters in support of Good and then he heard from three people who appeared in court to voice their support of him.
It was noted that Good had paid $64,157.09 in restitution prior to the hearing.
Good himself addressed the court, saying the case was an “embarrassment” to both him and his employees.
“I’m truly sorry,” to everyone impacted by his actions, he stated, adding that it was never his intention to harm anyone.
One of Good’s attorneys, David Freed asked Ammerman to give him a probation only sentence because he has no prior record, the victims had been compensated and it would be an “excessive hardship” for both Good and his employees if he is taken away from his business.
After considering everything, Ammerman sentenced Good to 30 days to six months less one day in the county jail for each of four counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, giving him a total jail sentence of 120 days to two years less four days, plus three years consecutive probation for the fifth count.
Good must also complete 200 hours of community service and he was fined $3,750 plus costs. The company was fined $10,000 plus costs.
The start of his incarceration was delayed until May 18 to allow him to arrange for possible work release.
Shortly after the hearing, Sarah Hyser-Staub, who also represents Good, issued a statement to the media declaring that “Good should be on probation, not in jail.”
That statement in full reads: “We respectfully and vehemently disagree with Judge Ammerman’s decision today to sentence Scott Good to serve jail time. No one in this case argued for a jail sentence – not even attorneys for the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, which prosecuted this unprecedented case.
“Scott is a good man who is ready to move forward, with a goal of continuing to build and enrich the community he loves so dearly. The success of his company and the livelihoods of some 40 community members employed there depend upon Scott’s steadfast leadership and his commitment to personal and professional excellence.
“Scott Good is a beloved and respected member of his community. Dozens of community members – including some of his own employees – wrote letters of support for Scott, attesting to his character and his well-earned reputation as a positive force for good in Centre County.
“Scott should be free on probation so that he can continue to do more good in Centre County – both as a loving and devoted family man, and as a civic leader within the community. That is our goal, and that should be the goal of the court.”