Rick Ross and Family Members Fined for Multiple Labor Violations at Mississippi Wingstop Locations

Wingstop stores in Mississippi owned by family members of rapper Rick Ross have been fined for state and federal labor law violations.

Rick Ross and some of his family members are looking at some hefty labor violations for five Wingstop locations in Mississippi.

Through his business entity Boss Wings Enterprises LLC, the 46-year-old rapper has been fined by the U.S. Department of Labor for labor law violations including illegally deducting wages from employees at five Wingstop locations in Mississippi. According to the department’s Wage and Hour Division, the Mississippi Wingstop stores also illegally mandated employees to pay for their own uniforms, training, background checks, along with covering cash register shortages. Ross and his family were additionally fined for allowing a 15-year-old employee to work past 10 PM on several occasions, which was a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

“Restaurant industry employees work hard, often for low wages, and many depend on every dollar earned to make ends meet,” Jackson, Mississippi Wage and Hour Division director, Audrey Hall, said in a statement. “The law prevents Boss Wing Enterprises LLC from shifting operating costs to workers … or to allow a worker’s pay to fall below the minimum wage rate.”

Per Mississippi Today, Ross’ mother Tommie Roberts and sister Tawanda Roberts are listed as registered agents for Wingstop in Mississippi. In a statement, the franchise has disassociated itself with Boss Wings Enterprises LLC. “The restaurants investigated by the DOL are owned and operated by a franchisee, not Wingstop Restaurants Inc. Our franchise agreement requires all of our franchisees to operate under our operating standards, which requires compliance with all laws and regulations. We were not previously aware of the DOL action against Boss Wings LLC.”