Tag:

Forced Labor

120 Accuse Mount Vernon's Sean Combs Of Sex Abuse In New Class Action Lawsuit: Report 120 Accuse Mount Vernon's Sean Combs Of Sex Abuse In New Class Action Lawsuit: Report
120 Accuse Mount Vernon's Sean Combs Of Sex Abuse In New Class Action Lawsuit: Report The legal troubles faced by Sean "Diddy" Combs, a New York native, are far from over, as the hip-hop mogul is facing allegations of sexual assault from over 100 new accusers, according to a report by NBC News.  Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee announced on Tuesday, Oct. 1 that he is currently representing 120 people with various allegations against Combs occurring over two decades, NBC reported.  These accusations against Combs, a New York City native who grew up in Westchester County's Mount Vernon, include sexual assault or rape; facilitated sex with a controlled substance;…
Mount Vernon's Sean 'Diddy' Combs On Suicide Watch Before Sex Trafficking Trial: Report Mount Vernon's Sean 'Diddy' Combs On Suicide Watch Before Sex Trafficking Trial: Report
Mount Vernon's Sean 'Diddy' Combs On Suicide Watch Before Sex Trafficking Trial: Report Days after being federally charged with sex trafficking and racketeering offenses, hip-hop producer and New York native Sean "Diddy" Combs is on suicide watch as he waits for his trial in prison, according to a report by People.  Following his arrest, the 54-year-old New York City native who grew up in Westchester County in Mount Vernon was remanded to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on Tuesday, Sept. 17, where he has been placed on suicide watch, according to People.  The outlet reported that it is not known if Combs is suicidal or how exactly how long he …
Mount Vernon's Sean 'Diddy' Combs Now Facing Sex Trafficking, Racketeering Mount Vernon's Sean 'Diddy' Combs Now Facing Sex Trafficking, Racketeering
Mount Vernon's Sean 'Diddy' Combs Now Facing Sex Trafficking, Racketeering Following several lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault and other abuses, successful hip-hop producer and New York native Sean "Diddy" Combs now faces federal sex trafficking charges, officials announced.  Combs, a 54-year-old New York City native who grew up in Westchester County in Mount Vernon, was arrested on Tuesday morning, Sept. 17 on a three-count indictment, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.  According to federal officials, beginning as far back as 2008, Combs ran a criminal enterprise that involved sex trafficking, forced…
NJ Couple Convicted Of Turning Immigrants Into Slaves NJ Couple Convicted Of Turning Immigrants Into Slaves
NJ Couple Convicted Of Turning Immigrants Into Slaves UPDATE: A South Jersey couple was convicted of forcing a pair of undocumented immigrants into slavery after luring them to America. Bolaji Bolarinwa, 50, and Isiaka Bolarinwa, 67, of Moorestown were discovered when one of the victims told her college professor, who alerted the FBI, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip Sellinger said. Originally from Nigeria, the couple were living in New Jersey as U.S. citizens when they recruited two victims to follow them, Sellinger said. They "engaged in an egregious bait-and-switch, luring the victims with false promises of a life and an education …
Couple Tricked Cousin Into Indentured Servitude In Virginia: Feds Couple Tricked Cousin Into Indentured Servitude In Virginia: Feds
Couple Tricked Cousin Into Indentured Servitude In Virginia: Feds A couple who attempted to bring slavery back to Virginia are facing captivity of their own after being convicted by a federal jury of coercing a family member into the country to work for them under false pretenses. Harmanpreet Singh, 30, and Kulbir Kaur, 43, are facing prison time after being found guilty following a two-week trial for enticing the former's cousin to provide services for them at a gas station and convenience store in North Chesterfield in questionable conditions. “(This couple) engaged in an egregious bait-and-switch, luring the victim with false promises of an education i…
Forced Labor: More Charges For Woburn Restaurateurs Accused Of Smuggling In Workers Forced Labor: More Charges For Woburn Restaurateurs Accused Of Smuggling In Workers
Forced Labor: More Charges For Woburn Restaurateurs Accused Of Smuggling In Workers A father and son, along with an alleged accomplice in Brazil, are accused of smuggling people into the United States for thousands of dollars and forcing them to work at their Woburn restaurants to pay off their debts, authorities said.  Jesse James Moraes, 65, and Hugo Giovanni Moraes, 43, of Woburn, were charged in a superseding indictment with forced labor conspiracy, the US Attorney for Massachusetts announced on Tuesday, April 4.  The two were charged with several other crimes in October after immigration agents raided their Main Street restaurants, Taste of Brazil—Tudo …
'Horrific' Forced Labor: Boston Pizzeria Chain Owner Threatened Illegal Workers, Feds Allege 'Horrific' Forced Labor: Boston Pizzeria Chain Owner Threatened Illegal Workers, Feds Allege
'Horrific' Forced Labor: Boston Pizzeria Chain Owner Threatened Illegal Workers, Feds Allege Police arrested a Westwood pizzeria owner on Thursday, March 16, and charged him with using violence and fear of deportation to intimidate an employee who was in the country illegally to work for him for years, federal authorities said.  Stavros Papantoniadis, a/k/a “Steve Papantoniadis,” 47, of Westwood, is charged with a single count of forced labor and is being held pending a bail hearing set for Monday morning, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Papantoniadis owns and operates Stash’s Pizza in Dorchester and Roslindale. He previously had pizzerias in Norwood, Norwel…
VA Family Gets Prison Time For Forcing Pakistani Woman Into 'Modern-Day Equivalent Of Slavery' VA Family Gets Prison Time For Forcing Pakistani Woman Into 'Modern-Day Equivalent Of Slavery'
VA Family Gets Prison Time For Forcing Pakistani Woman Into 'Modern-Day Equivalent Of Slavery' Three people in Virginia will get a taste of their own medicine after being sentenced for a years-long conspiracy to force a Pakistani woman who married into the family into forced labor, federal officials announced. Midlothian residents Zahida Aman, 80, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, Mohammed Rehan Chaudhri, 48, to 10 years in federal prison, and Mohammad Nauman Chaudhri, 55, to five years in federal prison for their roles in conspiring to compel the domestic labor of a woman for more than a decade. According to federal prosecutors, in 2002, the victim married Aman’s son, wh…
Sarah Lawrence College Sex Cult Leader Draws 60-Year Sentence Sarah Lawrence College Sex Cult Leader Draws 60-Year Sentence
Sarah Lawrence College Sex Cult Leader Draws 60-Year Sentence A man who put a group of college students through sexual, psychological, and physical abuse after moving into his daughter's dorm room in Westchester County will spend the rest of his life in prison.  Earlier Report - Sarah Lawrence Sex Cult Leader In Bronxville Found Guilty On All Charges Larry Ray, also known as Lawrence Grecco, was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Friday, Jan. 20 for leading a sex cult out of Sarah Lawrence College located near the border of Bronxville and Yonkers, according to Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. …
Four In Virginia Accused Of Forcing Undocumented Immigrants Into Labor At Laundry Facility Four In Virginia Accused Of Forcing Undocumented Immigrants Into Labor At Laundry Facility
Four In Virginia Accused Of Forcing Undocumented Immigrants Into Labor At Laundry Facility Four people in Virginia are facing charges for alleged labor trafficking, forced labor, and immigration offenses in connection to a laundry facility they operated, federal authorities announced. A 33-count indictment has been unsealed charging four in the region for defrauding and committing offenses against the US, including human trafficking from Central America, money laundering, benefiting from forced labor, and harboring undocumented immigrants, according to the Department of Justice. Those charged with engaging in a conspiracy to harbor, transport, and benefit from the work of non-cit…
NY Manager Who Forced Migrants To Work 16 Hour Days, Sleep On Bug-Infested Beds Sentenced NY Manager Who Forced Migrants To Work 16 Hour Days, Sleep On Bug-Infested Beds Sentenced
NY Manager Who Forced Migrants To Work 16 Hour Days, Sleep On Bug-Infested Beds Sentenced A former manager at a New York catering and wedding venue who admitted to forcing migrants to work grueling hours and sleep in unsanitary conditions is heading to federal prison. Long Island resident Roberto Villanueva, age 65, of Huntington, was sentenced to six years behind bars Wednesday, Oct. 19, in federal court in Central Islip.  It followed his February 2022 guilty plea to charges of forced labor. Earlier report: Ex-Manager Of Long Island Catering Hall Admits To Forced Labor Conspiracy Villanueva, who managed the now-defunct Thatched Cottage in Centerport, has been jailed…
NY College Sex Cult Leader Found Guilty On All Charges NY College Sex Cult Leader Found Guilty On All Charges
NY College Sex Cult Leader Found Guilty On All Charges Larry Ray, the leader of a sex cult run out of his daughter's dorm room at a New York college located in Westchester County, will face life in prison after being found guilty by a jury of sexually exploiting and trafficking girls. Ray, now 62 years old following multiple delays in his trial and prosecution, was found guilty of 15 counts that include racketeering, sex trafficking, conspiracy, forced labor, extortion, tax evasion, and other crimes in relation to his scheme at Sarah Lawrence College, located near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville. Related story - DOJ Acciden…
DOJ Accidentally Publishes List Of Alleged Clients In Sarah Lawrence Case DOJ Accidentally Publishes List Of Alleged Clients In Sarah Lawrence Case
DOJ Accidentally Publishes List Of Alleged Clients In Sarah Lawrence Case The trial of a father accused of running an alleged sex cult out of his daughter’s college dorm room in Westchester County took an unexpected twist after federal prosecutors reportedly released a list of former clients tied to the operation. Lawrence Ray, age 62, the man who allegedly ran the cult out of Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville in Westchester, has been on trial in Manhattan for more than a week on charges that include sex trafficking, extortion, forced labor, and other offenses for running the shady operation at the school. Original story - Father O…
NJ Couple Charged By Feds With Making Slaves Of Illegals NJ Couple Charged By Feds With Making Slaves Of Illegals
NJ Couple Charged By Feds With Making Slaves Of Illegals A South Jersey couple forced a pair of undocumented immigrants into slavery by threatening to expose them, federal authorities charged. Bolaji Bolarinwa, 47, physically abused both victims while threatening to turn them in if they didn't comply, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger and Civil Rights Division Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in a joint statement. Bolarinwa "knew that both victims had entered the United States illegally and harbored them from detection for her own financial gain," it says. She also confiscated both of their passports and visas, the statement says. …
Man Charged In Sex Cult Case At College In Westchester Accused Of Witness Tampering Man Charged In Sex Cult Case At College In Westchester Accused Of Witness Tampering
Man Charged In Sex Cult Case At College In Westchester Accused Of Witness Tampering The father of a former college student in Westchester who allegedly ran a sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm room for nearly a decade is now reportedly manipulating his victims from his prison cell. Lawrence Ray, 60, who is facing charges that include sex trafficking, extortion, and forced labor, has been allegedly attempting to control at least two of his victims from inside his cell, according to a New York Times report. Ray was released from prison in 2010 and moved into the co-ed dorm of his daughter at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville. It is alleged th…
Woman Who Enslaved Sri Lankan Servant In Hudson, Passaic Homes Gets 70 Months In Fed Pen Woman Who Enslaved Sri Lankan Servant In Hudson, Passaic Homes Gets 70 Months In Fed Pen
Woman Who Enslaved Sri Lankan Servant In Hudson, Passaic Homes Gets 70 Months In Fed Pen A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a woman with homes in Secaucus and Woodland Park to nearly six years in prison for holding a Sri Lankan national against her will for more than nine years while forcing her to marry her and work without pay as a domestic servant. In addition to the 70-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler sentenced Alia Imad Faleh Al Hunaity, 44, to three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay restitution of $1.2 million. Jurors convicted Hunaity – also known as “Alia Al Qaternah” -- of forced labor, alien harboring for financial gain and ma…
Bail Denied For Father Charged With Running Sex Cult At Area College Bail Denied For Father Charged With Running Sex Cult At Area College
Bail Denied For Father Charged With Running Sex Cult At Area College Bail has been denied for the father of a former college student in Westchester who allegedly ran a sex cult out of his daughter's dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College. A judge in Manhattan federal court denied the bail appeal of Lawrence Ray, 60, who pleaded not guilty to nine federal charges for allegedly moving into his daughter’s dorm at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Bronxville and Yonkers and operating a sex cult. Specifically, Ray is charged with: Conspiracy to commit extortion; Extortion; Sex trafficking; Obtaining forced labor; Forced labor trafficking; C…
Father In Westchester Sex Trafficking Case Pleads Not Guilty To Nine Federal Charges Father In Westchester Sex Trafficking Case Pleads Not Guilty To Nine Federal Charges
Father In Westchester Sex Trafficking Case Pleads Not Guilty To Nine Federal Charges The father of a former college student in Westchester has denied that he ran a sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm room by manipulating students. Lawrence Ray, 60, has pleaded not guilty to nine federal charges that he’s facing for allegedly moving into his daughter’s dorm at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Bronxville and Yonkers and operating a sex cult. Specifically, Ray is charged with: Conspiracy to commit extortion; Extortion; Sex trafficking; Obtaining forced labor; Forced labor trafficking; Conspiracy to obtain forced labor; Two counts of violating the travel act; Money l…
Piscataway Dad Accused Of Masterminding Sex Cult In College Dorm Piscataway Dad Accused Of Masterminding Sex Cult In College Dorm
Piscataway Dad Accused Of Masterminding Sex Cult In College Dorm A Piscataway man who moved into his daughter’s dorm has been charged with sex trafficking and extortion The 60-year-old is accused of subjecting his daughter's classmates at Sarah Lawrence College “to sexual and psychological manipulation and physical abuse,” according to an indictment unsealed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York.  Lawrence Ray, also known as Lawrence Grecco, was charged with extortion, sex trafficking, forced labor, conspiracy and trafficking, two counts of use of interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity and money laundering…
Father Of College Student In Westchester Charged With Sex Trafficking Her Friends Father Of College Student In Westchester Charged With Sex Trafficking Her Friends
Father Of College Student In Westchester Charged With Sex Trafficking Her Friends The father of a former college student in Westchester has been charged with running an alleged sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm room for nearly a decade. Lawrence Ray, 60, who was the subject of a cover story for New York Magazine, has been charged with sex trafficking, extortion, forced labor, and other offenses, officials announced on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Ray was released from prison in 2010 and moved into the co-ed dorm of his daughter at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville. It is alleged that Ray subjected “his victims to sexual and psychological manipulati…
Ex-Manager Of Long Island Catering Hall Admits To Forced Labor Conspiracy Ex-Manager Of Long Island Catering Hall Admits To Forced Labor Conspiracy
Ex-Manager Of Long Island Catering Hall Admits To Forced Labor Conspiracy A former manager at a Long Island catering hall admitted to a forced labor conspiracy and to threatening to deport employees who didn’t comply with his demands. Huntington resident Roberto Villanueva, 68, pleaded guilty in Central Islip federal court to forced labor conspiracy and forced labor of employees at the Thatched Cottage, a former catering and wedding venue in Centerport. U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue that Villanueva, a former recruiter, and manager for the Thatched Cottage, admitted that workers were brought from the Philippines to the United States on work visas that expired sho…
DV Plus - Fairfield, CT
Fairfield County's Grace Farms Fights Slavery in Building Materials Supply Chain Fairfield County's Grace Farms Fights Slavery in Building Materials Supply Chain
Fairfield County's Grace Farms Fights Slavery in Building Materials Supply Chain A Fairfield County-based initiative is working to wipe out modern-day slavery from the building industry. Supply chain slavery is not a foreign problem. It may seem "out of our sight and reach, happening thousands of miles away," but homes and buildings everywhere, even in Fairfield County could have slave made materials, according to Sharon Prince, president and founder of Grace Farms Foundation in New Canaan. The Foundation announced its initiative in September to raise awareness of the use of forced labor in the manufacture of building products, by forming The Architecture + Construction…
Secaucus Woman Found Guilty Of Enslaving Immigrant, Forcing Her To Marry Secaucus Woman Found Guilty Of Enslaving Immigrant, Forcing Her To Marry
Secaucus Woman Found Guilty Of Enslaving Immigrant, Forcing Her To Marry A 43-year-old woman with homes in Secaucus and Woodland Park was convicted of forcing a Sri Lankan national to work for her for years without pay, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Craig Carpenito said Thursday.  Alia Imad Faleh Al-Hunaity, who is also known as Alia Al Qaternah, was found guilty by a jury in Camden federal court of forced labor, alien harboring for financial gain and marriage fraud. Al -Hunaity faces up to 20 years in prison on the forced labor charge alone when she’s sentenced in September. The victim, a woman from Sri Lanka, was brought to the United States on a temporar…
Feds: Hudson Woman Kept Sri Lankan National As Slave More Than 9 Years Feds: Hudson Woman Kept Sri Lankan National As Slave More Than 9 Years
Feds: Hudson Woman Kept Sri Lankan National As Slave More Than 9 Years A Secaucus woman held a Sri Lankan national against her will for more than nine years, forcing the victim to marry her and work without pay as a domestic servant, federal authorities charged. A federal grand jury earlier this month indicted Alia Imad Faleh Al Hunaity, 43, on charges of forced labor, alien harboring, and marriage fraud -- for which she was arraigned Wednesday in federal court in Camden. She remained free on $150,000 unsecured bond, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. According to the indictment: Hunaity -- also known as “Alia Al Qaterneh" -- brought the victim to the …