A federal judge has held a Nebraska roofing contractor in contempt for failing to comply with an Occupational Safety and Health Administration subpoena, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Wednesday.
U.S. District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr., of the District of Nebraska, ordered Christopher C. Arps to pay $100 a day if he continues to ignore the subpoena, which relates to a case in which an employee fell from a roof after suffering cardiac arrest because he was not supplied with adequate fall protection.
Judge Rossiter also ordered Mr. Arps to pay $5,926.26 to the DOL for legal fees and costs and said that if Mr. Arps fails to comply with the subpoena by Friday, he might face additional sanctions, including possible incarceration.
OSHA said Mr. Arps has stalled federal investigators for more than a year. It seeks unspecified documents relating to the February 2023 workplace incident in Lincoln.
Mr. Arps has consistently denied that the fall occurred, OSHA said. The administrative subpoena was issued in late February 2023.
The court previously upheld OSHA’s subpoena authority in the case.