Bolaji Bolarinwa, 50, and Isiaka Bolarinwa, 67, were found guilty of forced labor and other crimes in a federal jury trial in Camden, New Jersey, on Tuesday.
The couple, residents of Burlington County, New Jersey, were charged with coercing two victims to perform domestic labor and childcare services in their home between 2015 and 2016.
According to court documents, the victims were lured to the United States with promises of benefits, but were instead subjected to physical abuse, threats, and psychological manipulation.
‘Bolaji Bolarinwa deceitfully lured the victims to the United States with promises of benefits, but then betrayed them,’ said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division.
The evidence presented at trial, including the testimony of two victims, established that the defendants confiscated the victims’ passports, threatened them, degraded them, physically abused them, and kept them under constant surveillance.
‘The defendants engaged in an egregious bait-and-switch, luring the victims with false promises of a life and an education in the United States, and instead subjected them to grueling hours, physical abuse and psychological abuse,’ said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey.
The defendants were found guilty of forced labor, alien harboring for financial gain, and document servitude. They are scheduled to be sentenced on April 19, 2024.
‘Forced labor and human trafficking are abhorrent crimes that have no place in our society,’ said Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy of the FBI Newark Field Office.
Related Federal Cases
- Alia Al Qaternah Convicted in 9-Year Forced Labor Scheme · New Jersey
- Burlington Co. Couple Convicted of Forced Labor, Human Trafficking · Washington
- Burlington Couple Convicted of Forced Labor and Human Trafficking · Washington
- Jesus Ruiz-Hernandez, Labor Trafficking, Vashon Island WA, 2023 · Washington
- Eduardo Reyes Wanted for String of Violent Crimes, Trenton NJ, 2024 · Washington
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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