Man Sued by Government for Paying Former Employee $9,000 in Pennies

The federal government is suing a Georgia man for paying his former employee $9,000 in pennies.

The man, Miles Walker, owns A OK Walker Autoworks in Peachtree City. He had a labour dispute with his former employee, Andreas Flaten, and when the dispute went to court, Walker was ordered to pay Flaten $9,000.

Instead of paying Flaten the money in cash, Walker decided to dump 900,000 pennies covered in oil on Flaten's driveway. He also included a note with the pennies that said, "F--- you."

Flaten called the police, who charged Walker with disorderly conduct. The district attorney declined to prosecute the case, but the U.S. Department of Labor stepped in and sued Walker for violating federal labour laws.

The labour laws require that employers pay their employees in a timely and proper manner. Walker's payment of pennies did not meet these requirements, and the government argued that it was a form of harassment.

Walker has denied any wrongdoing and said that he was simply trying to make a point. He is scheduled to go to trial in January 2023.