Naples doctor pays former staff after WINK News story airs

NORTH NAPLES, Fla. – In a follow-up story, it appears former employees are getting paid after they spoke out to WINK News about the lack of pay.

The women first spoke to the Nightbeat on Monday telling us they were owed hundreds of dollars by their former boss Dr. James Porcelli.

Wednesday night one worker received her check by certified mail. Chantelle Davis showed us her check for just over $200 and says it’s not even half of what she was owed.

“I am not greedy, I just want to get paid what I am owed,” said Davis.

WINK News knocked on Dr. Porcelli’s door Wednesday to again get his side of the story. At first the doctor told us he was busy but eventually answered our questions. He claims he wrote checks for the workers but they were never cashed.

“I assumed they had the initial checks, I didn’t check to see if they cashed them,” said Porcelli.

The woman say they have called and texted the office over the past few weeks asking for their checks. Porcelli says after the story aired, he wrote two new checks to the women.

“After this report, I went back in my account and they were not cashed, so I put a stop payment on those and issued two certified checks,” said Porcelli.

The former employees showed us the checks, saying they were post marked for April 30, the day they were suppose to get paid. The envelop was postmarked May 12, the day the doctor says he issued the checks.

We asked to see the first round of checks that were cancelled but were told the doctor has to see if there are legal issues in sharing that information.

He says he paid the women in full.

“One girl was not owed $600, she lied on camera, her paycheck was for a little over $200.”

Davis says she was not paid in full. She says the doctor changed the pay schedule and never paid her for about four days of work.

As of May 13, the second employee has not received her final paycheck.