Harris County prosecutors bring first wage theft case over Harvey paint job

Harris County prosecutors have filed their first-ever criminal wage theft case against a Houston homeowner for allegedly refusing to pay a self-employed independent contractor in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Sonny D. Nicholas, 62, has been charged with theft of service for not paying a man $2,300 for painting his house in Southside Place near West University, a residence appraised by the county at $1.5 million. The charge is a misdemeanor, and if convicted Nicholas faces up to a year in ja