"How can a person do that to all his employees," said Tony Sanchez.

Sanchez and 13 other former Artisan employees said they were never paid or were given checks that bounced. They all blame the Artisan's owner, Douglas DaSilva.

"I think we got scammed," said Sanchez.

KFOX interviewed DaSilva about this same issue back in January.

At the time he said, "Sometimes we're not timely paying vendors or employees, but they all get paid."

But the protestors said that's not the case, and that all together they're owed more than $44,000.

"We were done wrong," said former employee John Kelly. "There are just really no words that can really explain how all of us feel. Deep down inside, we're all hurt."

DaSilva filed for bankruptcy for his company before the Artisan Hotel opened. It has since been converted to chapter 7 bankruptcy, and the hotel has been closed since March.

"I think more than anything, this is a story of corporate irresponsibility really," said Christopher Benoit, of the El Paso Del Norte Civil Rights Project. "But what's been particularly troubling is how the process of bankruptcy has really hidden the plight of the workers."

KFOX spoke with DaSilva over the phone on Wednesday. He said since the bankruptcy converted to chapter 7, he no longer has control of the hotel or its finances, and that the court is now in control.

The 14 former workers have filed a motion in the Nevada bankruptcy court, asking the court to order payment of wages from the company.