Six individuals indicted for human trafficking of 400 Thai farm workers

WASHINGTON - Carol Forsloff - When Americans think of human trafficking of farm workers, they most
often think of Mexicans.  In this case, however, a federal grand jury
has indicted folks for exploiting Thai farm workers.

 

Six people were charged in the scheme, announced the Justice Department
today, that include Mordechai Orian, from Israel; Pranee Tubchumpol,
Shane Germann and Sam Wongsensanit of Global Horizons Manpower Inc., in
Los Angeles; and Thai labor recruiters Ratawan Chunharutai and Podjanee
for involvement in a conspiracy to commit forced labor and document
servitude.

According to the indictment, these individuals were involved in a scheme
to force labor of nearly 400 Thai nationals.  They were brought from
Thailand during the period May 2004 through September 2005.  Their
assignment was to work on farms around the country as part of the U.S.
federal agricultural guest worker program.

These individuals fax from 10 to 70 years in prison if found guilty.
They convinced these Thai laborers that they would have lucrative jobs,
then kept them working on farms in Washington and Hawaii through
threatening them with economic harm.

The Thai laborers also had to pay high fees for recruitment by borrowing
from their personal assets such as their family property and homes.

In
addition to the charges of human trafficking, the six defendants are
also accused of confining a group of Thai laborers to work at Maui
Pineapple Farm, then asked for an additional fee of $3,750 to help them
keep their jobs.  Those who didn't pay were forced back to Thailand.The FBI in Honolulu investigated the case against the defendants.