VES investigation continues

NORFOLK, Va. - For the first time, the owner of the controversial "Virginia Employment Services" was taken to court by a fed-up client.

James O'Leary is married to VES owner Carla O'Leary and together they have owned Jobs Plus that turned into Virginia Personnel which is now called Virginia Employment Services. For over a decade WAVY.com has investigated James and Carla O'Leary, who have been accused of taking money from job seekers, promising them job interviews, failing to deliver, and then keeping the money.

On Wednesday, James O'Leary and two employees faced a judge for allegedly assaulting a client.

Maria Garcia is a fighter who won't back down. "For me I really wanted to stop the court action, but I have to stop them. I have to save my reputation. I have to fight," Garcia said.

Garcia went to Virginia Employment Services, and was told she had a job interview at a local business. Garcia showed up at the business, but like so many other VES clients, there was no appointment or job, so she returned to VES to find out what's going on, and an argument followed.

VES Employees Crystal Harrison and Dana Harrison allegedly grabbed Garcia and dragged her out of the office.

Garcia called 9-1-1:

Garcia: "They are pushing me here."
Dispatch: "Tell me where you are?"
Garcia: "They are pushing me here."
Dispatch: "Ma'am"
Garcia: "They are pushing me here."
Dispatch: "Where are you?"
Garcia: "They just pushed me out of there."

Not to be outdone and fearing a need to defend herself Crystal Harrison places her own 911 call:

Harrison: "We have a customer of ours. Yelling. Screaming in our office. We asked her numerous times to leave our office. She would not leave our office."

However, Garcia's point was that she was a customer and, therefore, she had the right to be in the office. Garcia filed misdemeanor assault charges against Crystal Harrison and Dana Harrison.

Garcia also had a confrontation with VES owner James O'Leary at the Magistrate's Office. Garcia claims O'Leary then threatened her after she refused to talk to him. He said to me, "That's ok, you don't have to talk. You just listen." Then he said, "I wasn't there, if I were your face would have been on the floor," Garcia remembers of O'Leary's comments.

Garcia then took out a 'threatening to kill or injure' charge against O'Leary.

All three VES employees left court without comment, but must return to court in August.