Bonded LaborArchive 2008–2016

Bonded Labor in Mission, Kansas (2009)

A bonded labor case from 2009 in Mission, Kansas, United States.

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Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). We don’t have a verifiable source on file yet. Know one?

What happened

Abrorkhodja Askarkhodjaev, 30, a citizen of Uzbekistan living ina suburb of Kansas City is the alleged ringleader of a group of twelve who ensnared hundreds of illegal immigrants into labor trafficking in hotels, construction sites and other businesses, many of them in Kansas City and Branson. The conspiracy involved fraudulent labor leasing contracts in Missouri, Kansas, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New jersey, South Carolina and Wyoming. The criminal enterprise lured victims to the US under the guise of legitimate jobs and a better life, only to treat them as slaves under the threat of deportation. A US Attornet for Western Missouri said that the traffickers used false information to obtain false work visas for the foreign workers. Askarkhodjaev purportedly used Kansas City labor leasing company Giant Labor Solutions and other companies to obtain labor leasing contracts from clients in 14 states. Clients were told that all immigration and labor laws would be followed. The employees were alledgedly required to pay exorbitant rent to live in barely furnished apartments that "ensured the workers did not make enough money to repay their debt, buy a plane ticket home or pay their own living expenses in the US." The workers also had to pay for transportation to their jobs, uniform fees and other fees that often left them with paychecks that had negative earnings. They were threatened with physical harm, deportation or other legal problems if they did not comply. They also were not allowed to receive mail. Others indicted were: Nodir Yunuskov, 22, Rustamjon Shukurove, 21, Ilkham Fazilov, 44, Nodirbek Abdoollayev, 27, Alexandru Frumasache, 23, Viorel Simon, 27, Kristen Doughterty, 49, Andrew Cole, 53, Abdukakhar Azizkhodjaev, 49, Sandjar Agzamov, 27 and Jakhongir Kakhkharov, 29.

Response and intervention

A federal grand jury in Kansas City issued a 45 count indictment under the racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Avt that included charges of labor racketeering, forced labor trafficking and immigration violations. Eight of the 12 defendents were arrested , in their various states, when the indictment was being read.

Nearby cases

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Bonded Labor2011

Mission, Kansas, United States, 2011

United States US

This is an update to an earlier posting. See: http://www.slaverymap.org/index.html?show=986 On October 21, 2010, Defendant Abrorkhodja Askarkhodjaev, 31, pled guilty to charges for his role as the leader of a criminal enterprise that engaged in forced labor, fraud in foreign labor contracting, visa fraud, mail fraud, identity theft, tax evasion and money laundering. The c onviction was prosecuted under the statute prohibiting fraud in foreign labor contracting enacted as part of the Trafficking Victim’s Reauthorization Act of 2008. Askarkhodjaev pled guilty to four counts of the 143-count indictment, with prosecutors dismissing the other counts in exchange for his cooperation and a 10- to 12-year prison term. On or about October 28, 2010, co-Defendant Kristen Dougherty, 51, of Ellisville, was found guilty of all three counts contained in a Jan. 7, 2010, superseding indictment. Dougherty was convicted of racketeering, participating in a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act conspiracy, and wire fraud. Dougherty, as vice president of sales and marketing for Giant Labor Solutions, LLC, was involved in the recruitment and exploitation of foreign national workers. Dougherty also controlled three businesses that were used to facilitate the scheme: Anchor Building Services; People, Inc.; and Hotel and Resort Services. These businesses employed illegal workers and were used to obtain additional illegal workers. Under federal statutes, Dougherty is subject to a sentence of up to 60 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $750,000. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for February 24, 2011. Previously, nine other co-defendants pled guilty in connection with the case. three remaining defendants are fugitives.

1 sourceArchive 2008–2016

Sex Trafficking2008

Overland Park, Kansas, United States, 2008

United States US

Annette Marie Simon 50, Heather Michelle Heald 34, forced two women from Texas to sell their bodies at settle Inn hotel at the I-435 corridor. The victims had gone into a trucking company applying for work, they found out it was a prostitution ring, and told that their families would get hurt if they did NOT "get involved".

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016

Domestic Servitude2011

Overland Park, Kansas, United States, 2011

United States US

Hsien-Hsien “Jacqueline” Liu, 64, of Taiwan, residing in Overland Park, Kan., waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty on November 18, 2011 before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to the charge of fraud in foreign labor contracting for fraudulently obtaining two Filipino servants for her residence. By pleading guilty, Liu admitted that she fraudulently entered into employment contracts with two Filipino housekeepers, whom Liu then brought to the United States to work for her on B-1 visas. Liu paid them significantly less than the contractual amount and forced them to work excessive hours. In November 2010, Liu recruited and solicited a female citizen of Manila, Phillippines (identified in the plea agreement as Female Victim #1) to come to the United States to work as a housekeeper for her residence. Liu sent a signed contract via both Federal Express and fax from Kansas City, Mo., to Manila, which contained fraudulent terms of employment. The employment contract, which was used to obtain a B-1 visa for the victim, required that she be paid $1,240 per month to work 40 hours a week, eight hours a day. It only required her to be present in the residence during work hours. Liu admitted that she did not intend to comply with these terms. From March 6, 2011 to August 2011, contrary to the terms of the contract, Liu only paid the victim $450 a month, increased her work hours to 16-18 hours per day, and required that she work on the weekends and holidays. Liu had surveillance cameras installed inside the residence to monitor the victim and did not allow her to leave the residence without supervision or permission. The government’s investigation uncovered evidence that Liu had earlier engaged in the same conduct with another employee. Although the original federal criminal complaint charged Liu with conduct related to Female Victim #1, the affidavit filed in support of that complaint referred to a second victim. As part of the plea agreement, Liu is required to accept responsibility for the prior victim (identified in the plea agreement as Female Victim #2), also a woman from the Philippines, whom Liu employed in 2009-2010. Liu is the Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office located in Kansas City, Mo. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) is one of 13 offices responsible for maintaining close unofficial relations between the people of the United States and the people of Taiwan. They are generally the equivalent of a consulate of a foreign government, but the United States does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state.

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016