My question involves independent contractors in the state of: Ohio
I recently became an independent contractor in the state of OH. I was contracted by another person to acquire a team and do installs in apartment buildings. 10 days into the contract a resident in one of the apartment building called building management and claimed that they had an iPod stolen. Building management complained and I was told by the guy that contracted me that I am not to return until an investigation is done and I and the guy in that building with me were cleared. There is no evidence that there was even an iPod to begin with. Obviously myself nor the guy I was with stole the iPod (if there was one). The company that we were contracted by has allegedly told the police that myself and the guy with me is not allowed to return to this contract. I also am not going to receive my pay. My pay was divided up among my crew by the head contractor to keep them on board so that he had a crew to show up on Monday. My crew was also told that they were being under paid although they were hired on at an agreed upon amount which is the same amount that was agreed to with the contractor that brought me on. Now I have no work, no crew and am afraid I could be looking at criminal charges. I feel like I have been set-up. Even if the legal aspect is resolved, and I get to go back to work, I will now have a crew that will not trust me because they would told they had been underpaid and then given extra by having my pay divided up among them by the guy that contracted me. Is there any recourse? What questions should I be asking? What kind of trouble could I be looking at? What laws or assistance is there for independent contractors? I am new to this and feel completely blind sided. Any help would be appreciated.

