ALBANY — A Watertown couple has settled litigation with the state attorney general's office following convictions for underpaying 11 workers by more than $90,000.

On Jan. 25, Betty Joe Frazier, of 23960 White Road, Watertown, pleaded guilty to charges of falsifying payroll records and failing to pay wages; her husband, Ricky Frazier, pleaded guilty to failure to pay wages in accordance with state labor law. As part of their plea agreement, the Fraziers must pay the workers and are barred from bidding on state public works contracts for five years.

In 2005 and 2006, Rochester Flooring Resource subcontracted with Noble Construction Group, formerly the Fraziers, to install carpet at the Alfred E. Smith State Office Building in Albany. According to court records, the Fraziers failed to pay the workers the prevailing wages required under state law.

Rochester Flooring Resource also is paying restitution plus interest because under state labor law, contractors are liable for the failure of their subcontractors to pay the prevailing wages to workers on public works projects.

The total restitution to the workers will be $100,000.

"My office is committed to obtaining restitution for hardworking employees who were cheated out of the wages and benefits owed to them," Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo said. "Contractors on public works projects must ensure that subcontractors pay the prevailing wages, or risk having to pay the difference themselves."

Between June 24, 2005, and July 17, 2006, the 11 Noble employees worked laying carpet during a renovation project at the Smith Building. The construction contract was subject to the state's prevailing wage law, which mandates specific hourly rates be paid for public works projects.

Payroll records submitted by the Fraziers showed the workers being paid the legal hourly prevailing wage rates of $33.78 to $67.58 per hour when in fact they were paid wages ranging from $8 to $33.90 per hour, the attorney general's office said.

"The state Labor Department is deeply committed to protecting workers' rights and will not tolerate abusive practices by employers," said M. Patricia Smith, state labor commissioner. "I am so pleased that the attorney general's office was able to recoup a sizable amount of wages owed to these workers. By continuing to work together, we can get the message out that these practices are illegal, that employers will be prosecuted and hopefully, put an end to this type of worker abuse."