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ROCK ISLAND, Illinois -
The owner of Hunter's Club has been the focus of an 8 On Your Side investigation after the historic tavern closed unexpectedly and workers were left dealing with bounced paychecks. Now he's responding to our reports and the complaints of his former employees. Last night and again today the owner contacted News 8's Chris Williams to give his side of the story.
Hunter's Club owner Brad Emmert has been a hard guy to track down this week. Employees say he won't return their calls. He hadn't returned our calls either until after our story aired last night.
"To tell you the truth I wan to see him go to jail for this", former cook Jerame Daniel told us.
Last night, Daniel and another cook went on the record about Brad Emmert. It was the second set of employees looking for some response since we broke this story Monday. It appears he may have seen their pleas. We had tried several times to get his side of the story and last night he finally called.
Emmert admitted to me that the workers had not been paid. Despite what all of the employees and managers had said, Emmert claimed business had been slow and he had to use the money coming in to pay insurance and bills to keep the tavern open. Emmert said he had talked to relatives about getting the money to repay the workers but the money needed was not readily accessible.
I asked the owner to sit down for an interview but instead he called back late this afternoon. He said he's at a loss for words and that he met with his accountant today and they're working on a plan to repay the employees. Other than that, he doesn't know what to say. He told me he's a Quad City native who has no intention of leaving town and promises he's doing what he can to make things right.
But most of the employees are hesitant to believe the promises although, they tell us, they have few options. Many have acquired fines for taking Hunter's Club payroll checks to local businesses and banks and cashing them only to learn later they were bad. So now they're without a job, short a month's pay and owe money to other people because they trusted the person who signed their checks.
Yesterday we showed you how some employees were looking for help from the authorities to make Emmert pay. Click the links attached to this story if you are owed pay by any employer.
Hunter's Club owner Brad Emmert has been a hard guy to track down this week. Employees say he won't return their calls. He hadn't returned our calls either until after our story aired last night.
"To tell you the truth I wan to see him go to jail for this", former cook Jerame Daniel told us.
Last night, Daniel and another cook went on the record about Brad Emmert. It was the second set of employees looking for some response since we broke this story Monday. It appears he may have seen their pleas. We had tried several times to get his side of the story and last night he finally called.
Emmert admitted to me that the workers had not been paid. Despite what all of the employees and managers had said, Emmert claimed business had been slow and he had to use the money coming in to pay insurance and bills to keep the tavern open. Emmert said he had talked to relatives about getting the money to repay the workers but the money needed was not readily accessible.
I asked the owner to sit down for an interview but instead he called back late this afternoon. He said he's at a loss for words and that he met with his accountant today and they're working on a plan to repay the employees. Other than that, he doesn't know what to say. He told me he's a Quad City native who has no intention of leaving town and promises he's doing what he can to make things right.
But most of the employees are hesitant to believe the promises although, they tell us, they have few options. Many have acquired fines for taking Hunter's Club payroll checks to local businesses and banks and cashing them only to learn later they were bad. So now they're without a job, short a month's pay and owe money to other people because they trusted the person who signed their checks.
Yesterday we showed you how some employees were looking for help from the authorities to make Emmert pay. Click the links attached to this story if you are owed pay by any employer.
