Recognizing that the public safety of our communities is inextricably tied to the economic stability of our communities, DA Garza launched the Economic Justice Enforcement Initiative on Labor Day, September 6, 2021. This initiative centralizes the Travis County District Attorney’s Office’s activities related to economic justice, including:

• Prosecuting criminal cases involving wage theft [link to wage theft section below] and hazardous working conditions; and
• Removing barriers that prevent those charged with nonviolent crimes from re-entering the workforce [link to section on website relating to expunction work?]

Wage theft occurs when a worker is not paid what they are owed under the law or under an agreement made with their employer. Sometimes an employer’s nonpayment of wages may constitute criminal conduct and fall under the authority of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.

Before reaching out to our office, we encourage wage theft victims to send a demand letter to their employer asking for payment of the wages owed to them. This letter should be sent via certified mail with a return receipt requested and should include:

• • • The worker’s full name
    • Dates worked for the employer
    • Where they worked for the employer
    • The type of work performed
    • The amount of wages owed
    • The dates worked for which they are still owed wages.

Because many of these cases may involve legal violations that do not constitute a criminal offense, we encourage individuals who have experienced wage theft to also consider filing claims with the Texas Workforce Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor, or to seek the advice of other private attorneys or legal services organizations that handle non-criminal employment cases.

If you would like to report a wage theft claim to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office for criminal investigation and prosecution, please submit a Request to Investigate form with our office. You can submit this form online in English or Spanish using the buttons below.

PDF versions of this form are also available: English form (PDF) or Formulario en español (PDF).

You may send any additional materials or information regarding your claims to our office by email, mail, or fax to:

Travis County District Attorney’s Office
Public Integrity & Complex Crimes
PO Box 1748
Austin, TX 78767
TCDAwagetheft@traviscountytx.gov
Fax: 512-854-4810