Local

Workers at Sanford plane manufacturer say company hasn't paid them in months

SANFORD, Fla. — Andrew Jacobs is a 25-year-old Marine veteran who took a job as a mechanic at JETEEZY in Sanford following his time in the military.

He just stopped showing up to work two weeks ago because the last time he said he received a paycheck was on May 24.

He said the company owes him $5,000 in wages and now he’s struggling just to get by.

“Right now, I’m trying to figure out how to pay my mortgage,” he said.

JETEEZY moved to Sanford about a year and-a-half ago after it was approved by city, county and state leaders to receive a $100,000 tax incentive to move to Florida from Asia.

The incentive required that the plane manufacturer hired at least 50 people with an average salary of $61,000 and invest $5.5 million in building improvements.

The company also promised to hire veterans for its workforce.

Michael Turco, 60, is an Army veteran who worked for the company but quit in May.

He says he is still owed $750 in wages, which is a lot less than some of his former co-workers.

“They’re having problems with child care, with child support, mortgages,” Turco said. “How do we treat our veterans? This is a prime example of what not to do.”

The company did not ultimately receive the tax incentives it was promised, state officials said.

“Under Gov. Scott’s leadership, DEO has reformed the incentive process, requiring companies to meet strict performance metrics, including total jobs and capital investment, before receiving any payments,” a state economic development spokesperson said.

The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Channel 9.

Some current and former workers said they have started talking to attorneys about their missing wages.