In a bizarre case of workplace surveillance, the owners of several Taqueria Garibaldi restaurants in California have been ordered to pay hefty fines and back wages after employing a supposed priest to extract confessions from their employees about workplace “sins.”

The U.S. Department of Labor revealed the unusual scheme, stating that the restaurant owners' actions were a blatant attempt to intimidate workers and suppress complaints. The owners, Eduardo Hernandez, Hector Manual Martinez Galindo, and Alejandro Rodriguez, reportedly hired the individual posing as a priest to question employees about perceived wrongdoings against the company, such as stealing, tardiness, or harboring ill will.

This unusual tactic was uncovered during a broader investigation by the Department of Labor, which also found that the Taqueria Garibaldi restaurants were violating the Fair Labor Standards Act. The owners were found to have denied overtime pay to employees working over 40 hours a week and illegally diverted tips from employee tip pools to managers. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the owners threatened employees with immigration repercussions if they cooperated with authorities, even firing one employee who did.

As a result of the consent judgment, the owners are required to pay $140,000 in back wages to 35 employees and an additional $5,000 in civil penalties. Regional Solicitor of Labor, Marc Pilotin, condemned the owners' actions, calling their attempts to retaliate against employees “despicable” and designed to silence workers, obstruct the investigation, and avoid paying rightfully earned wages.