theft of $5000 from an illegal worker...

Hello,
I was helping in a pub in Alaska. I was not getting paid or on the books but l recieved tips from guests. I know not if this is classified as illegal work, but l am english and was legally allowed to be in the country, but not get paid for work. I had alot of money in the apartment where i was staying in cash(some i ahd bought with me from abroad). I shared this apartment with a good friend. One day l returned from work and he said he had taken the money and put it in an account of his as he was worried about having it in the apartment. He gave me the reciept for $5250. This was witnessed by another friend who also stayed there. When it came time to leave, he gave me a check for 2000$ and said he would transefr the rest. I live in Mexico and tried to put the cheque in my account and was told there would be a 21 day wait. I asked him to cancel it and just transfer all the money........I am still waiting 4 weeks later. last i heard he said he was to transfer 2000$ and send me an email of proof, he would then wait for the other 2000$ to be returned to his account, he claimed it would be 90days for the cheque money to be returned to his wells fargo account before he transferred the remaininding 3000$. I have plenty of emails from his account saying his soon to pay me back my cash. I have a witness who was there when he took the money originally, l have the cheque he wrote me, and other people willing to testify he had my cash in his account. i am (was) a trusting person but his behaviour has been to ignore my calls, he actually put the phone down the first time l rang, he has only sent two emails in the last two weeks, one of them very offensive after i said l would contact his family. Basically l want to know whether i have a case that would stand up in a Michigan court (he is from there) and what advice you would give me legally. Would i win if i hired a lawyer even if i was illegally working?

He cannot take yor money even if you were not supposed to be working.

Based on what you say here, you could file suit against him (or at least threaten to do so) in small claims court or in regular court; filing in small claims court is easier and requires no attorney...you could try to collect all of the costs and damages that you suffered due to his behavior...