In a significant legal move, three law enforcement officers have filed a class and collective action lawsuit against their employer, alleging systematic wage violations. The complaint was lodged 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 against the County of Putnam. This case could potentially affect over a hundred similarly situated employees.
The plaintiffs, all members of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD), claim that the County has been consistently underpaying them and other non-exempt employees. They allege violations of both federal and state labor laws—specifically the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and New York Labor Law (NYLL). According to the complaint, the County failed to pay overtime wages at one-and-a-half times their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond forty per week. Additionally, they accuse the County of undercalculating their base pay rates by using an incorrect number of working days in their calculations—261 instead of 249—which resulted in further underpayment for overtime work.
Moreover, the plaintiffs assert that they were not compensated for mandatory pre-shift briefing periods or for “on-call” time required outside normal working hours. Hunsberger, who holds the title of Investigator since 2017, detailed how these practices have led to significant financial losses over several years. For instance, he reported being paid less than his entitled overtime rate due to miscalculated base pay rates. Similarly, Kraisky and Osika described similar discrepancies affecting their compensation.
The lawsuit also highlights procedural failures by the County such as not providing compliant wage notices or accurate wage statements as mandated by law. The plaintiffs argue that these omissions hindered their ability to accurately track owed wages and delayed their realization of underpayment issues.
The plaintiffs are seeking various forms of relief from the court including unpaid wages for all hours worked at promised rates, compensation for unpaid overtime wages, statutory penalties for failure to provide wage notices and statements, liquidated damages equal to unpaid wages, as well as attorney’s fees and costs. They emphasize that these practices have been ongoing despite complaints made directly to county officials.
Representing themselves and others similarly affected within a proposed Rule 23 Class Action framework under New York law—and collectively under FLSA—the plaintiffs aim to hold Putnam County accountable while ensuring fair compensation moving forward.
Attorney Justin Ames from Akin & Salaman P.C., based in Newark, New Jersey is representing Hunsberger along with his co-plaintiffs Kraisky and Osika in this matter before Judge [Name] under Case ID: 7:26-cv-01024.
Source: 726cv01024_Daniel_Hunsberger_v_County_of_Putman_Southern_District_of_New_York..pdf
