Anthony Fresina, Carmen Nicotera, Jr., Travis Phillips, Andrew Sciocchetti, Brian Maloy and Dale Shults, as the Trustees and Fiduciaries of the Laborers’ Local 190 Pension Fund, Laborers’ Local 190 Annuity Fund, and the Laborers’ Local No. 190 Health Fund, and the Laborers Local Union No. 190 v. F & R Unlimited, LLC

CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedMay 11, 2026
Docket1:25-cv-01016
StatusUnknown

This text of Anthony Fresina, Carmen Nicotera, Jr., Travis Phillips, Andrew Sciocchetti, Brian Maloy and Dale Shults, as the Trustees and Fiduciaries of the Laborers’ Local 190 Pension Fund, Laborers’ Local 190 Annuity Fund, and the Laborers’ Local No. 190 Health Fund, and the Laborers Local Union No. 190 v. F & R Unlimited, LLC (Anthony Fresina, Carmen Nicotera, Jr., Travis Phillips, Andrew Sciocchetti, Brian Maloy and Dale Shults, as the Trustees and Fiduciaries of the Laborers’ Local 190 Pension Fund, Laborers’ Local 190 Annuity Fund, and the Laborers’ Local No. 190 Health Fund, and the Laborers Local Union No. 190 v. F & R Unlimited, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anthony Fresina, Carmen Nicotera, Jr., Travis Phillips, Andrew Sciocchetti, Brian Maloy and Dale Shults, as the Trustees and Fiduciaries of the Laborers’ Local 190 Pension Fund, Laborers’ Local 190 Annuity Fund, and the Laborers’ Local No. 190 Health Fund, and the Laborers Local Union No. 190 v. F & R Unlimited, LLC, (N.D.N.Y. 2026).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

ANTHONY FRESINA, CARMEN NICOTERA, JR., TRAVIS PHILLIPS, ANDREW SCIOCCHETTI, BRIAN MALOY 1:25-CV-1016 and DALE SHULTS, AS THE TRUSTEES (ECC/DJS) AND FIDUCIARIES OF THE LABORERS’ LOCAL 190 PENSION FUND, LABORERS’ LOCAL 190 ANNUITY FUND, and THE LABORERS’ LOCAL NO. 190 HEALTH FUND, and THE LABORERS LOCAL UNION NO. 190,

Plaintiffs,

v.

F & R UNLIMITED, LLC,

Defendant.

Gregory S. Campora, Esq., for Plaintiffs Hon. Elizabeth C. Coombe, United States District Judge: MEMORANDUM-DECISION AND ORDER Plaintiffs Anthony Fresina, Carmen Nicotera, Jr., Travis Phillips, Andrew Sciocchetti, Brian Maloy and Dale Shults, as the Trustees and Fiduciaries of the Laborers’ Local 190 Pension Fund, Laborers’ Local 190 Annuity Fund, and the Laborers’ Local No. 190 Health Fund, and the Laborers Local Union No. 190 (Plaintiffs) filed this action alleging that Defendant F & R Unlimited, LLC (Defendant), violated the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), as amended by the Multiemployer Pension Plan Amendments Act of 1980 (MPPAA), 29 U.S.C. § 1001 et seq. See Dkt. No. 1. Plaintiffs seek a judgment representing audit disclosures, audit costs, interest, liquidated damages, legal costs, and attorney’s fees. Id. at Wherefore Clause; [Proposed] Order of Default Judgment, Dkt. No. 15-2; see generally Declaration of Gregory S. Campora, Dkt. No. 15-6. Upon Plaintiffs’ application and considering Defendant’s failure to appear in or otherwise defend this action, the Clerk of the Court noted the default of Defendant on October 29, 2025. See Dkt. No. 9. Currently pending before this Court is Plaintiffs’ motion for default judgment. See Dkt.

No. 15. For the reasons set forth below, Plaintiffs’ motion is granted. I. FACTS1 Plaintiffs Anthony Fresina, Carmen Nicotera, Jr., Travis Phillips, Andrew Sciocchetti, Brian Maloy and Dale Shults are the Trustees and Fiduciaries of the Laborers’ Local No. 190 Pension Fund, the Laborers’ Local No. 190 Annuity Fund, and the Laborers’ Local No. 190 Health Fund (collectively, the Funds). Plaintiff the Laborers Local Union No. 190 is a labor organization within the meaning of 29 U.S.C. § 5152(5). Plaintiffs collectively allege that Defendant failed to make required contributions to the Funds. The Funds are multi-employer employee-benefit plans within the meaning of Sections 3(3) and 3(37) of ERISA, 29 U.S.C. §§ 1002(3), (37), which in turn are established and maintained by Restated Agreements and Declarations of Trust and by Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) between the Laborers’ International Union of North

America and signatory contractors, to which Defendant agreed to be bound. See Dkt. No. 1 at ¶ 1. Defendant, a construction company, is an employer within the meaning of Sections 501(l), (3), and 2(2) of the Labor-Management Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. §§ 142(1), (3), and 152(2), Sections 3(5), (9), (12), and (14) of ERISA, 29 U.S.C. §§ 1002(5) (9), (12), and (14), and Section 3 of the MPPAA. See id. at ¶ 3.

1 The following facts are drawn from Plaintiffs’ complaint, supporting declaration, and accompanying exhibits, and are accepted as true for the purposes of this motion. The Funds are employee benefit funds which were created and exist pursuant to Agreements and Declarations of Trust entered into between participating employers and union locals affiliated with the AFL-CIO. See Dkt. No. 1 at ¶ 1; Dkt. No. 15-3. Defendant entered into a CBA whose terms required Defendant to pay contributions to the Funds and the Local. See Dkt.

No. 1 at ¶ 2; see also Dkt. No. 15-3. The CBA between the Funds and Defendant was effective from March 31, 2019 to March 31, 2022, and renewed for the period of April 21, 2022 to March 31, 2025. See Dkt. No. 15-3 at 22, 46. Defendant employed persons who were participants in the Funds during the applicable time period and therefore was required to make contributions to the Funds for the period of 2020 through 2023. See Dkt. No. 1 at ¶ 7. Under Article XVI of the CBA, Defendant is required to make contributions to the Funds and in the event that contributions are not made, Defendant agreed to pay all necessary litigation and accounting expenses. See Dkt. No. 15-3 at 13, 14, 38, 39. A separate Policy for Collection of Delinquent Contributions, which was agreed to by Defendant under Article XVI(5)(e) of the CBA, specifically outlines the remedies allowed when delinquent payments are discovered, including

the right to audit, the right to require Defendant to pay the cost of an audit, interest, attorney’s fees, and other expenses, and the right to recover liquidated damages. See Dkt. No. 15-5. An audit conducted by a certified public accountant revealed 760.00 hours worked by employees of Defendant which were not reported or paid as required by the CBA. See Dkt. No. 15-4. This resulted in $21,736.75 in contributions due to the Funds and the Local which were not paid by Defendant. See id.; see also Dkt. No. 15-6 ¶ 6. Plaintiffs’ complaint was filed on July 30, 2025. See Dkt. No. 1. Plaintiffs served Defendant with the summons and complaint on August 19, 2025, by service on the Secretary of State of New York, the statutory agent for service of process. See Dkt. No. 5. Proof of service was filed on the docket on October 21, 2025. See id. Plaintiffs seek judgment against Defendant for the unpaid contributions, along with audit costs, interest, liquidated damages, legal costs, and reasonable attorney’s fees. See Dkt. No. 1,

WHEREFORE clause. To date, Defendant has not filed an answer or otherwise appeared in this action. On October 29, 2025, Plaintiffs obtained a Clerk’s Entry of Default. See Dkt. No. 9. On December 13, 2025, Plaintiffs filed and served a motion requesting that the Court enter default judgment against Defendant. See Dkt. No. 13. On April 14, 2026, Plaintiffs were directed to cure filing deficiencies. See Dkt. No. 14. On April 27, 2026, Plaintiffs filed an amended motion for default judgment. See Dkt. No. 15. Defendant did not respond. II. DISCUSSION A. Legal Standards Rule 55 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure sets forth a two-step process for entry of a default judgment. See Enron Oil Corp. v. Diakuhara, 10 F.3d 90, 95-96 (2d Cir. 1993). First, the Clerk of Court enters the default pursuant to Rule 55(a) by notation of the party’s default on

the Clerk’s record of the case. See id.; see also Fed R. Civ. P. 55(a) (“When a party against whom a judgment for affirmative relief is sought has failed to plead or otherwise defend, and that failure is shown by affidavit or otherwise, the clerk must enter the party’s default.”). This first step is nondiscretionary. See United States v. Conolly, 694 Fed. Appx. 10, 12 (2d Cir. 2017). Second, after the Clerk of Court enters a default against a party, if that party fails to appear or otherwise move to set aside the default pursuant to Rule 55(c), the plaintiff may apply to the court for a default judgment. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(a), (b)(2).

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Anthony Fresina, Carmen Nicotera, Jr., Travis Phillips, Andrew Sciocchetti, Brian Maloy and Dale Shults, as the Trustees and Fiduciaries of the Laborers’ Local 190 Pension Fund, Laborers’ Local 190 Annuity Fund, and the Laborers’ Local No. 190 Health Fund, and the Laborers Local Union No. 190 v. F & R Unlimited, LLC, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anthony-fresina-carmen-nicotera-jr-travis-phillips-andrew-sciocchetti-nynd-2026.