Feds sue defunct Lansing company over benefit plan

LANSING – The U.S. Department of Labor is suing a defunct Lansing roofing company to free up nearly $400,000 in an employee benefit plan.

Spartan Roofing Company Inc. went out of business shortly after its president, Carey Scott Miller, died in April 2012, according to the suit in U.S. District Court. He was the only person authorized to administer the plan, and former employees have been unable to draw benefits, the suit says.

The government wants the court to remove the company as fiduciary and appoint someone else to distribute assets to beneficiaries. The plan has 13 participants, the suit says.

Labor department spokesman Scott Allen said the Spartan Roofing case is not particularly unusual.

"Our objective is to get the money rightfully owed to the employees back to them," he said. "If no one is responsible for disbursing the funds, we have to find a responsible party to do that."