"Are you finally getting the message here? Do you understand that you have to pay this money? This is not about you. It's about a child that needs the money. You're keeping it." Chesky Weiss never answered any of these questions asked by Tappy Phillips.
"He owes about 14 weeks as of today," John Shoureas works for Mr. Weiss. Each week his boss takes support payments out of his check. They're supposed to go to the county child support enforcement, then to John's ex wife. But...
"His payments are being taken out of his salary and his boss is stealing it from the children, from the child," said John's ex wife, Virginia Shoureas. "I don't understand it."
And because the money isn't getting to his ex-wife, John has been branded a deadbeat. "Child support service keep taking money from my bank account, my tax returns, in order to cover the payments."
"It's so unfair to Mr. Shoureas, it really is," says John's ex. "I mean he's doing his part as the father."
Three months ago, Tappy confronted the deadbeat boss at his business.
Tappy: "The man can barely live because they're taking the money out of his checking account."
Chesky Weiss: "I'm trying to get..."
Tappy: "No, I don't want to hear 'I'm trying.' You gotta do this for the guy. You're a grown man, you run a company, you have obligations and this is one of them."
After we left he did pay more than $800. But not a dime has been paid since. Now, he's more than $1400 in arrears and had to appear in Nassau County Family Court.
Tappy: "You got a check with you?"
Chesky Weiss: "No, I can't, I have to mail it in."
Tappy: " You are here to pay back the child support. Why don't you have it with you?"
John and Virginia have heard this excuse before. Chesky's been hauled to court 4 times for child support non payment.
"But yet they keep letting him get away with it. I don't know why," says John.
On this day, the family court magistrate told Mr. Weiss that he would face a $500 fine if he didn't release the money.
After our story ran we found out from NY Division of Child Support Enforcement, Mr. Weiss paid $1338 toward the back child support. But, as of May 11th - he's still a $103 in arrears. He's due back in court the end of May. Court officials tell 7 On Your Side he may face sanctions whether he's paid up or not. ----
Story by: Tappy Phillips
Produced by: Steve Livingstone
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STORY BY: Eyewitness News reporter Tappy Phillips
