CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A shocking case of modern-day slavery has come to light in Charlotte, North Carolina, as Thuy Tien Luong, 36, is charged with forcing an employee to work at her nail salon.
According to the indictment, Luong allegedly forced the victim, a nail technician, to provide labor and services at her salon by means of force and threats of force to the victim. The indictment further alleges that Luong obtained the victim’s services through means of serious harm and threats of serious harm, means of abuse and threatened abuse of law and legal process, and by means of a scheme, plan and pattern to cause the victim to believe that if she did not perform such labor and services, she would suffer serious harm.
“Human trafficking is our generation’s form of physical and psychological captivity. It is modern day slavery. These vile acts involve fundamental violations of our rights and the perpetrators must be stopped,” said Eric Dreiband, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.
Forced labor deprives victims their basic human rights and strips away their dignity. Labor trafficking schemes are deplorable and do not have a place in modern society, said U.S. Attorney Murray. My Office remains committed to combatting all forms of human trafficking and holding perpetrators accountable for their criminal actions.
“Traffickers treat human beings as commodities. They use force, fraud or coercion to prey on people’s vulnerabilities,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Ronnie Martinez. “HSI special agents will continue to focus their efforts on eradicating this heinous crime; no one should be subject to human trafficking.”
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. If convicted of forced labor, Luong faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, as well as mandatory restitution. The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Davidson Police Department and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimlani M. Ford for the Western District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Maryam Zhuravitsky for the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward. This case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of human trafficking and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.
Related Federal Cases
- Shahid Hassan Muslim, Sex Trafficking Enterprise, North Carolina 2024 · North Carolina
- Brandon Marquis Jennings, Human Trafficking, North Carolina 2023 · North Carolina
- Beneath the Mills: A Bloody Struggle for Workers’ Rights in Gastonia, North Carolina · Mississippi
- Human Trafficking Continues to Plague North Carolina, Charlotte NC, 2024 · Mississippi
- Robert J. Higdon Jr., Human Trafficking, North Carolina 2020 · Mississippi
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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