Sou Defendants Charged in Human Trafficking Conspiracy

WASHINGTON – In a shocking revelation, Alec Souphone Sou and Mike Mankone Sou, owners of Aloun Farm in Hawaii, have been charged with engaging in a conspiracy to commit forced labor and visa fraud. The charges arise from the defendants’ alleged scheme to coerce the labor and services of Thai nationals brought by the defendants to Hawaii to work under the federal agricultural guest worker program.

The indictment, filed on [insert date] in [insert month] 2023, alleges that the Sou defendants conspired and devised a scheme to obtain the labor of 44 Thai nationals by enticing them to come to Aloun Farms in Hawaii with false promises of lucrative jobs. The defendants then maintained their labor at the farm through threats of serious economic harm, according to the indictment.

According to the indictment, the Sou defendants arranged for the Thai workers to pay high recruitment fees, which were financed by debts secured with the workers’ family property and homes. Significant portions of these fees went to the defendants themselves, as alleged in the indictment. After arrival at Aloun Farms, the Sou defendants confiscated the Thai nationals’ passports and failed to honor the employment contracts.

The Sou defendants maintained the Thai nationals’ labor by threatening to send them back to Thailand, where they would face serious economic harms created by the debts. The indictment also charges that the defendants engaged in a visa fraud conspiracy by making false representations in documents filed to obtain employment-based visas.

Alec and Mike Sou each face maximum sentences of 15 years in prison if convicted. The case is being investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by trial attorneys Susan French and Kevonne Small of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division.

Alec Souphone Sou, Mike Mankone Sou, and William Khoo conspired and devised a scheme to obtain the labor of 44 Thai nationals, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

According to the indictment, the defendants’ scheme involved coercing Thai nationals into working on Aloun Farms in Hawaii by making false promises of lucrative jobs and then threatening to send them back to Thailand if they did not comply.

William Khoo, a Thai labor recruiter, faces a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted. The indictment alleges that Khoo played a key role in the conspiracy, arranging for the Thai workers to pay high recruitment fees and facilitating their travel to Hawaii.

This case highlights the devastating consequences of human trafficking and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.

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