Trio Arrested in $257,000 Ghost Worker Scam

BY EVAN GOODENOW

An alleged wage theft scam involving “ghost workers” may have serious consequences for two Leesburg residents and a Manassas man. The trio is accused of embezzling $257,086 from Purcellville-based Beckstrom Electric.

According to a criminal complaint, Raul Gonzales Ascencio, the owner of R. Gonzalez Sheet Metal and 3RG Systems, a temporary worker agency, orchestrated the scheme. He reportedly enlisted Leesburg residents Francisco Antonio Aguilar Paz and his brother, Jose Alfonso Aguilar Paz, to submit fraudulent time sheets for non-existent employees.

The scam is believed to have started in December 2020 and was uncovered in May 2023, when Beckstrom’s owners alerted the police about the fraudulent activities and thefts of scrap copper from job sites. The suspects are also accused of stealing $46,823 in scrap copper, which they allegedly sold to local dealers.

The complaint states that Francisco Aguilar Paz admitted to being asked by Gonzales to create false time sheets for ghost workers and submit them to Beckstrom Electric, with the understanding that they would split the payments received.

Francisco Aguilar Paz, 35, was charged with conspiracy to commit larceny, embezzlement, and forgery. His brother, Jose Alfonso Aguilar Paz, 41, faces two counts of conspiracy to commit larceny and single counts of embezzlement and forgery. Gonzales Ascencio, 43, was charged with two counts each of conspiracy to commit larceny and obtaining money by false pretenses.

The Aguilar brothers have been released on $5,000 bonds and are scheduled to appear in Loudoun General District Court on August 9. Gonzales Ascencio was released on a personal recognizance bond, with his court date currently unavailable.

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