Mykhaylo Botsvynyuk, Human Trafficking Conspiracy, Canada, 2023

Two more brothers, Mykhaylo Botsvynyuk and Yaroslav Botsvynyuk, alias Yaroslav Churuk, have been found guilty in a massive human trafficking scheme. Both Ukrainian nationals living in Canada, they were convicted of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. Facing up to 20 years in prison, the Botsvynyuk duo is part of a family of traffickers that has terrorized young Ukrainian immigrants.

The brothers operated their organization from fall 2000 through spring 2007, smuggling victims into the U.S. under false promises of $500 monthly pay and free room and board. Instead, they forced these workers to clean stores, private homes, and office buildings without compensation, using violence, threats, and debt bondage to keep them enslaved.

The Botsvynyuk Organization didn’t hesitate to target the families of escaped workers in Ukraine with violent threats. Omelyan and Stepan Botsvynyuk were previously convicted; Omelyan was sentenced to life plus 20 years, while Stepan received 20 years. A fifth brother, Dmytro Botsvynyuk, remains in Ukraine, beyond U.S. reach.

Workers were transported to Philadelphia using tourist visas and coached on how to enter the country illegally. Many were detained by immigration officials but released with summonses for hearings. The Botsvynyuk brothers then confiscated these documents, forcing workers into night shifts at major stores like Target and Walmart, living in deplorable conditions.

Victims were physically attacked if they tried to escape or quit, and one woman was raped by a coconspirator. Omelyan Botsvynyuk resorted to extortion against families in Ukraine, threatening harm if workers did not return or pay off their debts.

This case was investigated by the Joint FBI Organized Crime/ICE Human Trafficking Alien Smuggling Task Force, with assistance from state and local police, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and Toronto Police.