Managers at Le Pain Quotidien say they have temporarily suspended a registered sex offender from his job at the Purchase Street bakery and restaurant chain.
Wale Gai, 30, was suspended from his job at LPQ after a New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services alert went out listing his address as 30 Purchase St., the site of Rye’s LPQ bakery-restaurant.
In 2019, Gai was convicted of a sex crime involving an underage girl, and last year was seen frequenting the Rye Public Library.
“We take matters such as this very seriously,” said an LPQ spokesman. “In accordance with our longstanding policy, we have initiated an investigation, and the employee has been placed on temporary suspension until the investigation concludes.”
It is unclear what role Gai performed at the eatery.
Gai is a registered level 2 sex offender, which according to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, puts him at moderate risk of a repeat offense.
The state division currently lists Gai’s residence as homeless, but its records include LPQ’s New Canaan location as his employment address.
Photo courtesy state Division of Criminal Justice Services
Employees at LPQ on Purchase Street declined comment.
Gai served a year in jail after he was arrested by Mount Vernon police in 2018 on charges of sexual assault involving a 14-year-old girl, state records show.
In November 2024, two teenagers reported a non-criminal encounter with Gai at the Rye Public Library, where he allegedly showed them messages on his phone asking if they wanted to be friends. Both teens declined his offer and reported the incident, police said at the time.
Rye detectives said then that Gai said he was homeless and he visited the library often.
