ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – Andrew Sample, the former owner of Sample This Barbeque, will enter a plea deal in Chemung County Court, according to the court calendar.

Sample was arraigned in January and facing 12 charges, including grand larceny for allegedly failing to pay his employees.

Horseheads Town Court records show Sample owes $4,000-$5,000 in back pay to multiple employees.

“I thought they were very nice people until the end,” said one former employee. 

“In the long run come to find out he’s a scammer,” said another. 

“Everything went fine at the very beginning then towards the end it was can you go to the store and buy us this, can you go to the store and buy us that, and then trying to get your money back…that was the next thing,” said a former employee.

“I didn’t get a paycheck and if I didn’t get a paycheck I wasn’t going back. There was only a few that stayed the last three weeks that they stayed open,” Said a former employee. 

The employment service company Adecco in Corning claimed last year Sample owes them $99,000.

Sample told 18 News last year “my goal is to prove the things that are true, correct the things that are not, and move forward. I believe that things have been mischaracterized. I have purposely remained silent so that the truth can come out in due time.”

“Sample This Barbecue” shuttered its doors in August of 2018. Employees maintain that they were not made aware of the plans to close the restaurant ahead of time. 

“He told us prior to hiring us that he would give us a two week notice if anything happened and that the employees would be paid first,” said one employee back in August. “Sunday night we got a text asking me if I could cover the Tuesday and Wednesday shift. I said yes, and then Monday morning comes along and I hear the business is closed.”