California restaurant used priests for employees’ workplace sins

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - The owners of a California restaurant may want to go to confession after federal investigators say the owners used an alleged priest to persuade employees admit to "sins" in the workplace.

In federal court, the operator of Taqueria Garibaldi in Sacramento testified that the restaurant offered employees a person who was identified as a priest to hear confessions.

One employee told the court that the priest asked workers if they had stolen anything, been late for work or done any harm to their boss. The alleged priest urged them to "get their sins out."

The owners of the Taqueria agreed to a consent judgment and now have to pay 35 workers $140,000 in back wages and damages and the owners must also pay a $5,000 fine.