Austin Koeckeritz, Forced Labor, Wisconsin 2020

River Falls Man Indicted for Forced Labor

Austin Koeckeritz, 29, of River Falls, Wisconsin, was charged with one count of labor trafficking, according to an indictment unsealed in the Western District of Wisconsin.

Between August 2020 and August 5, 2022, Koeckeritz allegedly used force, threats of force and coercion, to cause an adult woman to engage in forced labor for nearly two years.

The charge of forced labor carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Koeckeritz is currently at large and the FBI Milwaukee Field Office is seeking information about his whereabouts. If you have any information, please contact the FBI Milwaukee Field Office at (414) 276-4684.

For those who may be victims of human trafficking or know someone who is, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 for assistance.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and Koeckeritz is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Kraus for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorneys Slava Kuperstein and Julie Pfluger of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Milwaukee Field Office and the River Falls Police Department, with assistance from the Pierce County District Attorney’s Office.

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