The former celeb hub David Barton Gym’s shuttered Upper East Side location is holding employees’ final paychecks as ransom — until cops can solve a small-time heist that management believes is an inside job, The Post has learned.
An unknown vandal stole a bunch of cleaning products, some dumbbells, a couple of T-shirts — and a “Cleo” poster off the wall Dec. 20, the night before the famed chain shuttered the majority of their nationwide locations.
A former employee said the gym is refusing to hand out the workers’ last checks until someone comes clean.
The manager of the East 85th Street location reported the theft as a “break-in” on Dec. 20th and police said no arrests have been made yet.
A text message to a former employee from the manager said they’re withholding the checks while police finish the investigation.
“We are pleased to inform you that paychecks will be going out to David Barton Gym employees for the period through December 20, 2016, with the exception of those employed at the Uptown facility (85th and Madison). Those paychecks are being held until such time as the police have finished their investigation,” the text read.
“The break-in is believed to involve several Uptown employees. As soon as we determine who was responsible for the break-in, paychecks will be issued to all other employees of the Uptown facility.”
The employee told The Post that management was trying to keep the impending closure on the down-low to avoid anyone taking revenge against the gym.
“They were being quiet about it and I just finally had to go to my boss and ask the question like what’s really going on? I said to be honest with me and I said ‘are we closing?’ and he said to me it didn’t look good,” the employee said.
“They didn’t want anybody knowing because so many things could happen like it could be people stealing things or trying to get back at the company, calling the members and getting them upset, that’s just what they told me of why not to say anything to anyone.”
The employee said she actually had to pack up her stuff and leave through the back door the day before the gym closed in order to not set off any alarms.
Despite efforts to remain under the radar, employees allegedly did exactly what management was trying to avoid.
Representatives from the gym declined to comment on the paychecks and the investigation.
Meanwhile, AG Schneiderman said today he is suing the gym’s parent company, Club Ventures Investments LLC, on behalf of 5,000 members who’d paid up to $15,000 training packages that they’ll never be able to use.
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