A legal battle has erupted in Santa Clara County, California, where the County Counsel has filed a lawsuit against a local home care business accused of exploiting immigrant caregivers. The complaint, filed by Tony LoPresti on behalf of the People of the State of California in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara on July 17, 2025, targets several individuals and entities associated with Safejourney Transport LLC, which operates under the name Happy Trip Home Care.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants have systematically underpaid their caregivers, offering wages as low as $4.17 per hour for round-the-clock care services provided to elderly clients in San José and Milpitas. Despite charging clients between $300 to $500 per day for these services, the defendants reportedly pocketed a significant portion of the fees without compensating caregivers fairly. The plaintiffs claim that this practice not only violates state labor laws but also constitutes unfair business practices under California’s Unfair Competition Law.
According to the complaint, caregivers were often paid in cash or via electronic transfers without receiving proper wage statements. This lack of documentation allegedly enabled the defendants to obscure their unlawful employment practices. Furthermore, at least one caregiver reported identity theft incidents involving unauthorized transactions made through her bank account by the defendants. The lawsuit highlights additional grievances such as failure to provide meal and rest breaks and failure to pay overtime wages.
The plaintiffs are seeking injunctive relief to halt these alleged illegal practices immediately. They also demand restitution for unpaid wages and civil penalties against the defendants for their actions. Additionally, they aim to impose punitive measures designed to deter similar misconduct in the future and recover costs inflicted upon taxpayers due to these violations.
Representing the plaintiffs is Tony LoPresti from the Office of County Counsel for Santa Clara County. The case is presided over by Judge M. Suarez under Case No. 25CV479193.
Source: 25CV479193_The_People_v_Armando_Ogerio_County_of_Santa_Clara_California.pdf
