Security guards at PHA and Navy Yard file lawsuit against contractor for unpaid wages and overtime.

Armed and unarmed security guards, who reported issues with unpaid wages while patrolling Philadelphia’s public housing developments and various city infrastructures, have initiated class-action lawsuits against their former employer, Sovereign Security LLC, along with its owner Richard D. Cottom and manager Maurice Dupree. The legal actions highlight significant grievances concerning unpaid work hours, unpaid sick and vacation days, violated overtime regulations, and the failure to return uniform deposits.

These guards, represented by plaintiff Shirell Williams, allege that Sovereign Security breached the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act and the Wage Payment Collection Law over a four-year period beginning in late 2021. Williams herself worked at multiple sites including the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA), Philadelphia Gas Works, the Navy Yard business center, and the Philadelphia Department of Human Services, underscoring the broad scope of their employment challenges.

Through their attorney, labor lawyer Josh Dubinsky from Center City, the guards are pursuing compensation for their unpaid wages, damages, accrued interest, and legal fees associated with what they describe as systemic wage abuse. Their case seeks class certification to include over 100 current and former employees of Sovereign Security.

Richard D. Cottom, a former security executive at Drexel University who founded Sovereign in 2004, along with other company officials, has not responded to requests for comment. Additionally, Dupree, identified as a key supervisor who managed security assignments and addressed payment issues, is also named as a co-defendant in the case.

Under Pennsylvania law, employers are mandated to establish regular paydays and adhere to them. The contract between Sovereign and PHA explicitly required compliance with all applicable laws. Despite prior reports of late and bouncing paychecks, the PHA renewed Sovereign’s contract in the spring but later decided to terminate it on July 9, stating that it was in the agencies’ best interest to do so.

A letter from PHA to Cottom dated January 27 revealed concerns about Sovereign’s payment practices, highlighting the urgency to ensure timely payments to security personnel. This correspondence occurred only days after media reports on the issues came to light. Since 2021, Sovereign has received over million from PHA, but the legal actions may potentially uncover a pattern of wage discrepancies.

In 2023, PGW also ceased its partnership with Sovereign, and by last summer, the company no longer operated at the Navy Yard. The guards involved in the litigation are eager to establish whether Sovereign had a longstanding practice of underpayment, failing to pay overtime, and neglecting to refund uniform expenses. Additionally, they seek to determine whether state wage laws were violated, as they pursue not only back pay but also significant damages outlined in state legislation. Williams, for instance, initially earned .40 per hour when she began her employment in 2022. The legal action aims to reclaim 0 or 25% of wages for each violation of these laws, in addition to legal costs.

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