'It Was My Broker's Fault,' Claims Arrested Westport Restaurateur: Warrant

WESTPORT, CT — A Westport restaurateur, who was arrested this month for alleged workers' compensation violations, is pointing a finger at someone else for his troubles, according to the arrest warrant obtained by Patch.

Solomon Sade, owner of Baxter & The Blondinit on Church Lane in Westport, was charged with two counts of noncompliance with workers' compensation insurance requirements. The arrest followed an investigation by police and the Workers' Compensation Fraud Control Unit, working with the state Department of Labor's Wage and Workplace Standards Division.

According to the Office of the Chief State's Attorney, Sade operated the restaurant without workers' compensation insurance on two separate occasions. Sade is among three Connecticut business owners charged with violating state workers' compensation laws.

Sade was on the labor department's radar after the agency received complaints about alleged unpaid wages to employees in 2024. That situation was seemingly resolved, according to the warrant.

The restaurant had a workers' compensation insurance policy that was supposed to be in effect from April 2024 to April 2025, but it was canceled in late June 2024 for nonpayment, according to the warrant.

After a visit from labor department officials in January 2025, Sade obtained a workers' compensation insurance policy that was in effect to January 2026.

He obtained a new policy in January 2026 that was supposed to be in effect to January 2027, but according to the warrant, that policy was also canceled for nonpayment in March 2026.

In May, after another visit from the Department of Labor, Sade obtained a new workers' compensation insurance policy, which the warrant says is active.

"Based on the information contained within this affidavit, this affiant believes that Baxter & The Blondinit, Inc through its Principal/Owner, Mr. Solomon Sade, did not provide workers' compensation insurance coverage for its employees from 6/25/24 to 1/13/25 and 3/26/26 to 5/21/26 as mandated by C.G.S. 31-284(b)," the warrant states.

In an August phone interview with authorities, Sade is quoted as saying the following about the lapses in policy, "It was my broker's fault." The identity of the broker was not disclosed.

When told that the policies were canceled for nonpayment, Sade said, according to the warrant, "It wasn't paid because the broker's supposed to be taking care of it. I paid the broker, which obviously didn't work out."

Sade never provided canceled checks or documentation that he paid his broker during the lapsed periods, according to the warrant. He told authorities that his attorney would reach out to the labor department and state's attorney's office, but the warrant does not indicate whether that occurred.

On Oct. 15, Sade was arrested on the two felony counts of failure to comply with workers' compensation regulations. He was released after posting a $10,000 bond, and he is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on Oct. 29.