Garment Firm to Pay $20,000 in Wages Case

The owner of Ly’s Fashions, a Santa Ana garment maker, must pay $20,000 in back pay and penalties as part of a federal court judgment in a U.S. Labor Department case accusing him of violating federal minimum wage and overtime laws, the agency said Monday.

Ngoc Ly Thi Vu agreed to the judgment in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles and will pay $16,000 in back wages to employees and $4,000 in penalties to the agency.

The Labor Department accused Ly’s Fashions of paying employees by the piece, resulting in wages that were less than federal minimum hourly rates of $4.25 for regular work and $6.375 for overtime.