HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A former deputy with the Hanover County Sheriff's Office, along with other current and former employees, is seeking $12 million through a lawsuit against Hanover County over claims of not receiving wages and overtime compensation. The lawsuit, originally filed on May 1 5, 2023, alleges that the lead plaintiff, former Hanover County Sheriff's deputy Christopher Hatcher, and other current and former employees did not receive wage and overtime compensation between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. According to court records, Hanover County confirmed that Hatcher worked for the Hanover County Sheriff's Office for about 20 years, spanning between 2002 and 2022. Since then, seven "similarly situated" current and former employees have joined the suit, with the group seeking a total of $12 million for alleged wage theft. The lawsuit stated that Hatcher and other plaintiffs were required by the county to "mark on duty" when leaving their homes in their patrol vehicles before beginning their shifts, but this time was allegedly uncompensated until they drove to their target location or headquarters before starting each assigned shift. "To 'mark on duty' means that a Deputy either calls in, or logs in from a laptop in the car, to the Sheriff’s dispatch system to announce him/herself as being on duty, which means he/she is available to respond to calls, emergencies, or any other event for which such Deputy may be called upon," the lawsuit said. In response to the filing, Hanover County denied that the current and former employees did not receive full overtime compensation and further denied that the county is or was their employer. 8News reached out to the county for comment, to which a spokesperson said it was unable to comment. "Since this is pending litigation, we're unable to comment at this time," the spokesperson said. ...read more read less