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Man Claims Day-Work Firm Gave Him Fake Drug Test Document

POSTED: Thursday, May 8, 2008
UPDATED: 7:39 pm EDT May 8, 2008

A Jacksonville man who recently went to a business for help landing a job said he turned down the one the company found for him because the day-labor firm provided him with a fraudulent document.

Stanley Dembo said he went to a Southside day-labor company called Staff Zone in search of work.

He said the company told him he could do temporary work at the Jacksonville Port Authority and then an employee gave him a document that claimed he had passed a drug test -- a drug test he said he never took.

"On our way out the door, he gave me a work ticket and this piece of paper. I didn't really look at it until we got out there," Dembo said.

He said he would need the paper to get inside Jaxport, but when he got to the port, he could not get in because he didn't have proper identification. That's when Dembo said he noticed the paper he said a man at Staff Zone gave him.

"I pulled out the papers that they gave me and I saw on the paper a drug screening test that they said I needed to give to them, and I never took a drug test at all," Dembo said.

He said the document claimed he had passed a drug test he never took.

"No. 1, it's a fraudulent document … I never took a drug test at all. To do this, to give this to me is like putting me at risk because I am trying to put my life on the straight and narrow. Not only that, but other people working at those establishments -- because that heavy equipment operating work -- you have to have a clear mind and everything," Dembo said.

Channel 4 investigator Jim Piggott called the company listed on the document, Random Drug Screens. The company has an address listed in South Carolina, and the owner said she never had any dealing with Staff Zone and said that she believes the document is a fake.

"Staff Zone is not one of my clients," said Random Drug Screens owner Lavern Cates.

After talking to Cates, Piggott went to talk with officials at Staff Zone. That's where the following conversation took place:

Piggott: I'm doing a story about a gentleman that was up here getting work, and you guys handed him this that said he passed this drug screening that took place here.
Staff Zone Worker: You would have to talk to Ed Jordan, our branch manager, and he is not here right now.
Piggott: OK. Are they doing drug screenings?
Staff Zone Worker: Yes they do.
Piggott: People do the test?
Staff Zone Worker: Yeah. Saliva test.
Piggott: Apparently, this company says they are not familiar with you whatsoever.
Staff Zone Worker: What company?
Piggott: Random Drug Screen Inc., out of Charleston, where this said it came from.
Staff Zone Worker: You would have to talk to our corporate, but we do do saliva testing.

A call to the Staff Zone corporate offices in Atlanta revealed the incident is under investigation.

Jaxport officials said they are also investigating the incident.

"Right now, since there has been an allegation that there is some questionable verification or some questionable paperwork involved here, the port security people as well as the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office are investigating those allegations," said Jaxport spokeswoman Nancy Rubin.
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