3 sentenced in Williamsburg human trafficking case – WAVY Norfolk
Laundry company owners guilty of trafficking migrants, minors for labor – WaPost
“The workers were told their ‘smuggling fees’ were a debt owed to the company, Stitzel said. They also had to pay rent for their lodging in the warehouse, which lacked air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter. The workers were “deprived of basic housing needs, like a kitchen or shower facilities,” said Jessica Aber, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
“’These business owners enriched themselves through this brutal enterprise using fraudulent identification documents and money laundering to falsify their wage records and just benefit themselves from the proceeds,’ Aber added. ‘These individuals lied, manipulated and threatened their victims using fear to trap them in inhumane situations.’
A 16-year-old worker died at a poultry plant. Federal probes are underway.
“Fear was common among the workers, who were often told they would be deported if they declined to work more hours, according to an indictment. The 13-year-old girl who had her hair pulled was told by Landaverde, her manager, that ‘her contacts in El Salvador would hurt and/or kill her upon her return to El Salvador if she refused to perform work tasks as directed,’ investigators wrote.
“The girl was also discouraged from having friends or contacting anyone outside of the company, court records state. But when it became known that she befriended other students at her school, Landaverde struck her with a belt, prosecutors said.”
HSI Norfolk labor trafficking investigation leads to historic sentencing for 4 Virginians – ICE
Child labor violations are on the rise as some states look to loosen their rules – NPR