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Two Individuals Arrested for Human Smuggling Conspiracy and Defrauding U.S. Government Agencies
In a significant breakthrough, federal authorities in New York have arrested two individuals, Dat Tat Ho and Manh Ngoc Nguyen, for their alleged involvement in a human smuggling conspiracy and defrauding U.S. government agencies. The indictment, unsealed in federal court in Central Islip, charges the defendants with conspiring to defraud U.S. government agencies and alien smuggling for financial gain, and related crimes.
According to the indictment, the defendants owned or managed numerous nail and hair salons in Queens, the Bronx, and on Long Island. Between January 2017 and September 2020, the defendants and others arranged for Vietnamese foreign nationals to enter the United States via illegal border crossings at the U.S. border with Mexico, as well as at other ports of entry.
The defendants facilitated the travel of these foreign nationals to New York to work in their salons at illegally low wages and overstay their transit visas. They also caused foreign nationals to make false statements to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and submit fraudulent asylum applications to USCIS. The foreign nationals were housed in residences that the defendants owned or controlled.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Nguyen and Ho face a minimum of five years’ imprisonment and a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, with valuable assistance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the New York City Police Department, the Nassau County Police Department, and the Suffolk County Police Department.
Acting United States Attorney Seth D. DuCharme stated, ‘As alleged, Ho and Nguyen conspired to smuggle aliens into the United States, keep them under the defendants’ control and pay them illegally low wages to work in nail and hair salons.’ He emphasized that the case demonstrates the importance of maintaining security at U.S. borders and prosecuting those who seek unlawful commercial advantage and financial profit through the exploitation of other human beings.
HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh stated, ‘This case is an example of callous labor trafficking hiding in plain sight.’ He added that HSI, through collaboration with its federal, state, and local partners, methodically unraveled the vast reach of this enterprise, which led to the indictment of these criminals.
The indictment and arrests highlight the U.S. government’s commitment to combating human trafficking and protecting the rights of vulnerable individuals.
Date: March 20, 2023
Location: Central Islip, New York
Outcome: Both defendants were ordered detained pending trial.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Human Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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