Eduardo Hernandez told workers at Taqueria Garibaldi in Sacramento that the man, who claimed to be a priest, was there to hear confession and “help with mental health,” according to an account that one employee gave federal regulators.

But the employee, Maria Parra, found her interaction with the man to be more like an interrogation than a confession. Ms. Parra said that he told her he would ask her questions “to get the sins out of me.” But when the questioning began, the man “mostly had work-related questions,” she said.

“The priest asked if I had stolen anything at work, if I was late to my employment, if I did anything to harm my employer and if I had any bad intentions toward my employment,” Ms. Parra said in a sworn declaration.

[The local diocese insists that none of their priests took part in this. Police have not yet identified this man, but it didn’t make much difference. The Labor Department forced Hernandez to pay $140,000 in back pay and damages to 35 workers despite what he may or may not have learned from the “confessions.” Hernandez didn’t save the money, and to boot, he put his immortal soul in mortal danger, but … other than that, it worked out brilliantly for him. Maybe people in the area should find other places to eat, eh? — Ed]