TV Station Accused of Wage Theft, which is a growing problem in the US
(L) Blanca Olivia Solis and (R) Shemuwel Baruwk, CEO of CCBM Broadcasting, stand accused by multiple employees of wage theft
Shemuwel Baruwk and Blanca Solis of CCBM Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Shannah Holding Group, are accused by multiple employees of engaging in wage theft, outlined in provisions of the Texas Payday Law. Several employees state they have not been paid for more than two months of work, while others have not been paid for approximately two weeks worth of wages. This is a position that increasingly more and more Creatives find themselves in.
When asked how the employer justifies the non-payment, Michelle Murray stated for this story that “It’s always tomorrow. I’ll pay you tomorrow. There was some story that I’ve now proven to be false about an accountant mishandling money and not paying taxes as the reason they didn’t pay wages. The reason is simply they do not pay because they do not wish to.”
Screenshot of a text message employees received after inquiring as to when they would be paid
Murray went on to state “It’s criminal what they are doing. They primarily prey upon young college kids who are excited to have what they think is a great job. From what I can research, CCBM has a history of doing this in cycles. Bringing in a crew, working with them until they quit because of the non-payment, then starting again. It’s time someone called them out for this malicious and illegal practice.”
Notice that was taped to the front door of CCBM Broadcasting
On October 8, 2024, employees arrived to find the business had been locked out due to non-payment of rent. The listed amount owed was $33,793. Blanca Solis was quick to rip down the letter taped to the door of the employee entrance before most employees could read it. But another letter had been taped by the landlord to the actual front door and Michelle Murray, the Marketing Manager, shared it with the other two managers.
It was at this point that Michelle Murray began to research this company and look into CCBM’s reputation and past practices. She was appalled at what she discovered.
CCBM Broadcasting is not pending affiliate status with CBS, as Shemuwel and Blanca had told managers and employees. This is easily verifiable information through both the FCC and CBS. Michelle believes this ruse was fabricated in order to draw in top tier employees and benefit from their skills.
Michelle further discovered that the reason for the non-payment had nothing to do with an errant accountant. In fact, Shemuwel and Blanca have used that story multiple times, as far back as 2016, for business failures. In addition to non-payment of employees, Shenuwel and Blanca have failed to pay taxes and other fees. The State of Texas took them through the forfeiture process in their last business, and they are not allowed to do business again until they meet certain criterion, including paying monies owed. Yet, they stood up CCBM Broadcasting anyway.
Screenshot from the Texas Secretary of State website showing that GBI Energy Oil and Gas was closed by the State of Texas through Tax Forfeiture sanctions.
Solis and Baruwk actually had several other businesses that went out of existence in the same fashion, owing employees money and paying none of their taxes: World Bible Christian Community, GBI Tank Farm Holding Group and GBI Energy Oil and Gas Corporation. World Bible Christian Community was subjected to a Tax Forfeiture on January 26, 2018 and the GBI Tank Farm Holding Group was also subjected to forfeiture of existence imparted by the State of Texas on Tuesday June 14, 2016.
Screen shot from the Texas Secretary of State website showing that GBI Tank Farm Holding was also closed as a result of forfeiture action by the State of Texas
At one point, the duo stated to employees in September that they were “waiting on money from the oil business to drop” before wage payments could be made. Shemuwel stated to Production Manager Jerry Karnes, who told this writer, that Shemuwel and Blanca also worked in the oil business and would rectify all the wage payments once money from their other business, the oil business, “came through.”
Shemuwel Baruwk, CEO of CCBM Broadcasting, is accused by multiple employees of wage theft
In stark opposition to that statement, Michelle Murray discovered a lawsuit naming Shemuwel Baruwk and others affiliated with GBI Energy Oil and Gas Corporation as defendants in a Cameron County, Texas lawsuit. The lawsuit pertains to a debt that arose from a breach of contract where Shemuwel and others claim to be partners with Exxon Mobile. They are not partners with Exxon Mobile. The lawsuit resulted in a judgement against Shemuwel and his partners, handed down by Judge Juan Magallanes. GBI Energy Oil and Gas Corporation had actually been shut down by the State of Texas with a Tax Forfeiture of existence on July 28, 2023, yet they were still doing business when this judgement was handed down.
Both Blanca Olivia Solis and Shemuwel Baruk use various names when interacting with employees and others, making it difficult for some employees to know who to file a wage theft claim against. Solis uses a variety of last names, including Chavez, Baruwk and others. No evidence has been found by this writer that the two are married. Both claim to have obtained their Doctorate degrees, and use the title “The Doctor” or “El Doctor,” and “La Doctora.” This writer could find no evidence of or confirm that either Blanca or Shemuwel having obtained such degrees.
As a result of the unpaid wages and deception, a number of CCBM Broadcasting employees have filed the appropriate reports and wage theft claims.
The Texas Payday Law requires employers to pay their employees in full, on time, and on scheduled paydays. The law also dictates how and when employers can pay wages.
Wage theft is when an employer withholds benefits, such as breaks or compensation, that an employee has already worked for. Wage theft often goes unreported either because employees are not aware of what they’re owed, they don’t know how to report it, or because they fear retaliation. In El Paso County, Wage theft reports can be made with the Texas Workforce on the civil side, and the El Paso Police Department as well as the El Paso County Attorney. You can reach the El Paso County Attorney’s Wage Theft unit by calling 915.273.3249. You can also visit the El Paso County Attorney’s website at this link. You can contact the Texas Workforce by calling 800-832-9243 or by filing your claim online at this link. You must file wage theft claims within 180 days from the original date the wages were supposed to be paid. If you live in other states, you can still contact your local police department, labor board, and County Attorney’s Office.
Another remedy is to file in small claims court. The following apply to small court claims:
There is a small filing fee.
There is a limit on the amount of owed wages you may be awarded.
You may be covered by civil and contract law in addition to the Texas Payday Law.
You should check with an attorney for more information.
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