The County of Putnam is facing a significant legal challenge as three law enforcement officers have filed a class and collective action lawsuit against it, alleging systematic wage violations. The complaint was filed by Daniel Hunsberger, Matthew Kraisky, and Kevin Osika on February 5, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The plaintiffs accuse the County of Putnam of failing to pay overtime wages as required by both federal and state labor laws.
The plaintiffs are all employed by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) and claim that the County has consistently underpaid them and other similarly situated employees. They argue that the County has violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and New York Labor Law (NYLL) by not paying overtime wages at one-and-a-half times their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond forty per week. Additionally, they allege that the County has miscalculated their base hourly rates by using an incorrect number of working days to divide their annual salaries, which further resulted in incorrect overtime calculations.
Hunsberger, Kraisky, and Osika highlight several issues with the County’s payment practices. They claim that they were not compensated for a mandatory 15-minute briefing period before each shift and that certain roles were not paid for “on-call” time unless they were actually called to work. Moreover, they assert that the County failed to provide compliant wage notices and accurate wage statements as required by law.
The plaintiffs seek various forms of relief from the court. They are asking for compensation for unpaid overtime wages, unpaid straight time wages, liquidated damages, statutory damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs. They also request a declaratory judgment recognizing these practices as unlawful under applicable state and federal laws.
Representing the plaintiffs is attorney Justin Ames from Akin & Salaman P.C., based in Newark, New Jersey. The case is being heard in front of judges from the Southern District of New York under Case ID 7:26-cv-01024.
Source: 726cv01024_Daniel_Hunsberger_v_County_of_Putman_Complaint_Southern_District_of_New_York.pdf
