Pacific Grove architect pleads guilty to failing to register, secure workers’ comp insurance

A Pacific Grove architect has pleaded guilty to one felony count of failure to register as an employer and one misdemeanor count of failing to secure workers’ compensation insurance.

An Insurance Department investigation found that Robert Gunn, 70, hadn’t purchased workers’ compensation insurance prior to an employee’s injury.

In May 2013, Department of Insurance officials received information that Gunn told his employees he didn’t have workers’ compensation insurance, but if he did, he would take the cost of the insurance out of their paychecks.

That started a joint investigation by the Insurance Department, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office and the Contractor’s State License Board.

Gunn was interviewed while employing contractors at a rental property. Investigators determined one of his employees had been injured on the job and Gunn paid for his chiropractic treatments. Gunn told investigators he’d purchased workers’ compensation insurance recently but didn’t have it at the time the injury occurred. He also was in the process of registering as an employer with the Employment Development Department.

Gunn is scheduled for sentencing on July 2.