Washington Restaurateurs Face Felony Charges for Not Paying Employees

The former owner and manager of the Royal India Cuisine restaurants in Kirkland and Lynnwood, Washington, face multiple felony theft charges for failing to pay employees nearly $45,000 from 2021 to 2023.

Mohammad Rashid Bhatti, 74, and Aeisha Bhatti, 47, pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges at their arraignment on June 4. Mohammad Bhatti was the owner and Aeisha Bhatti was the manager of the two locations.

The charges are based on an initial investigation by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, which received 41 wage theft complaints from former employees by early 2023. After finding that the employer reportedly hadn’t paid workers what they were owed, L&I referred the case to the Washington State Attorney General in February 2023.

The Attorney General filed one count of first-degree theft and eight counts of second-degree theft against both Bhattis, plus an additional count of second-degree theft against Aeisha Bhatti.

Some employees told L&I the Bhattis failed to pay them their owed wages, and some said they had paychecks that bounced. Others were reportedly told by Aeisha Bhatti the checks

During the investigation, it was discovered that some complainants were also tasked with doing work for Aeisha Bhatti’s other business, Marigold Design House. Additional instances of alleged wage theft were reportedly discovered during the investigation, including a nanny hired by Aeisha Bhatti who was allegedly not paid for her work.

The first-degree theft charge alleges one restaurant employee was not paid for 692 hours plus another 146 hours of overtime worked in four months, totaling $20,394 in wages. The unpaid wages in the other counts range from $820 to $4,468, according to charging documents.

L&I has issued 16 notices of assessment from 2019 to 2025, totaling $128,457 in wage payments and another $40,460 in penalties on the restaurants. L&I has collected $47,763 so far.

The Kirkland location is closed, while the Lynnwood location operates under a new name with different owners.

First-degree and second-degree theft are considered Class B felonies. First-degree theft carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. Second-degree theft has a potential sentence of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

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