Boss Who Dumped Over 91,000 Oily Pennies on Former Employee's Driveway Sued for Back Wages

A former auto shop employee who discovered 91,500 pennies in his driveway may be getting the last laugh.

Andreas Flaten reportedly put in his two weeks' notice to A OK Walker Autoworks in Peachtree City, Georgia, in November 2020. It wasn't until March 2021 that his former employer paid Flaten the $915 he allegedly owed him, oily pennies and all.

Now, the U.S. Department of Labor has gotten involved.

On January 5, the department issued a press release announcing a filed complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against Miles Walker, owner and operator of the auto shop. It is alleged that Walker owes $36,971 in back wages and liquidated damages after investigators found they violated the retaliation, overtime and recordkeeping prohibitions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The complaint mentioned that Walker "retaliated against" one of his former employees who had resigned and contacted the agency due to not receiving his final wages, mentioning the pennies and expletive-signed pay stub.

That employee turned out to be Flaten, the one with a penny-filled driveway.

It is also alleged that Walker's penny stunt resulted in Flaten's driveway being blocked for seven hours, staining it in the process. Walker also allegedly published "defamatory statements about the former employee on the company's website."

Flaten's girlfriend, Olivia Oxley, posted a video and message March 13 on Instagram saying that her boyfriend's last paycheck was delivered on a Friday evening at 8 p.m. in the form of thousands of pennies.

Oxley said that the two weeks' notice swiftly turned into five days after Walker allegedly made comments about Flaten and his family. Flatten reportedly washed and returned his uniform, in addition to further explanation of why he was resigning.

Walker refused to acknowledge Flaten or pay his overdue wages, Oxley said, and the pennies and note didn't arrive until the word "lawyer" was introduced.

The video she posted showing her picking up a handful of pennies includes visible grease accumulating on her hand and fingers.

Flaten told FOX 5 Atlanta that what Walker did "was a childish thing."

On April 1, national coin kiosk entity Coinstar got involved and helped Flaten rid his property of the 91,500 oily pennies. In exchange they provided him with $1,000 cash.

According to the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, Walker also violated the Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime provisions by paying other employees straight time for all hours worked while failing to pay legally required overtime rate when employees worked in excess of 40 hours per week.

He also allegedly failed to keep adequate and accurate records of employees' pay rates and work hours.

"By law, worker engagement with the U.S. Department of Labor is protected activity. Workers are entitled to receive information about their rights in the workplace and obtain the wages they earned without fear of harassment or intimidation," said Wage and Hour Division District Director Steven Salazar in Atlanta. "Workers and employers should feel free to contact the Wage and Hour Division. In fact, all employers should review their employment practices and contact the division to discuss questions they have regarding their responsibilities under the law."