U.S. Department of Labor sues defunct Dallas, Pa., company and its owner to recover benefit plan assets

Dallas, Pa. – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Raymond Woronowicz, former president of The Business Alliance Inc., for failing to deposit employee contributions into the company's employee benefit plan in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The Dallas company ceased operations in or around January 2006.

The department's lawsuit alleges that from September 2004 through January 2006, the company deducted elective contributions from employee participants and Woronowicz, a plan fiduciary, failed to remit them to the plan.

"This legal action is an example of the department holding fiduciaries accountable when plan assets are misused," said Mabel Capolongo, director of the Philadelphia Regional Office of the department's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA).

The suit seeks a court order to recover approximately $26,000 in plan assets from Woronowicz, plus lost opportunity costs; remove him as fiduciary; and permanently bar Woronowicz from serving in a fiduciary capacity and exercising authority with respect to any employee benefit plan covered by ERISA.

The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, resulted from an investigation conducted by EBSA's Philadelphia Regional Office. Employers and workers can reach that office at 215.861.5300 or toll free at 866.444.3272 for help with problems relating to retirement and health benefits. In fiscal year 2009, EBSA achieved monetary results of $1.3 billion related to pension, 401(k), health and other benefits for millions of American workers and their families.

Solis v. Raymond Woronowicz
Civil Action Number: 3:09-CV-2365

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