Category: USDJ Human Trafficking

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

According to court documents, GARCIA was encountered by a United States Border Patrol agent near Slidell, Louisiana.  A traffic stop was conducted and GARCIA was found to be driving two illegal aliens from Texas to Georgia for employment.   

United States District Judge Brandon S. Long sentenced GARCIA to time served, followed by 3 years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Border Patrol, in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Jon M. Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, a federal jury in Phoenix found LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr., 45, and Torrance Bistline, 36, both of Colorado City, Arizona, guilty of multiple charges related to their participation in a years-long child sexual abuse conspiracy that spanned several states and victimized at least 10 children. The defendants committed their crimes with others, including co-defendant Samuel Rappylee Bateman, the self-proclaimed leader of a religious sect based in Colorado City. Bateman and nine of his other followers pleaded guilty to charges related to the child sexual abuse conspiracy and were not part of the trial against brothers LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. and Torrance Bistline.

“Today’s verdict is a step towards justice for the victims of LaDell and Torrance Bistline,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “The Bistlines used their positions of power and trust to sexually exploit children and to profane their community. The devastating trauma and harm they inflicted is unfathomable. But today’s guilty verdicts hold them to account – for their despicable acts, for their breach of trust, and for their complete indifference to the mental and psychological scars their victims will live with for the rest of their lives. The United States Attorney’s Office, along with its state and federal law enforcement partners and other agencies, will continue to work tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable from abuse and exploitation, and to help them heal.”

“Protecting children is one of the many noble missions of the FBI,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez. “Adults who exploit children for illicit activities are a danger and a disgrace. Today’s verdicts reflect the unwavering dedication by the FBI and its partners to ensure those who prey on children are held accountable and brought to justice.”

LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. was convicted of one count of Receipt of Child Pornography; one count of Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor; two counts of Persuading or Coercing Travel to Engage in Sexual Activity; two counts of Using a Means of Interstate Commerce to Persuade or Coerce a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity; and two counts of Transportation of a Minor for Criminal Sexual Activity.

Torrance Bistline was convicted of one count of Using a Means of Interstate Commerce to Persuade or Coerce a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity; two counts of Destruction of Records in an Official Proceeding; one count of Conspiracy to Commit Destruction of Records in an Official Proceeding; one count of Tampering with an Official Proceeding; and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Tampering with an Official Proceeding.

LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. and Torrance Bistline were followers of Bateman, who represented himself as a religious prophet. In 2020 and 2021, Bateman’s followers gave their minor daughters and wards to him as child “brides” to sexually abuse. Bateman and others transported the victims between states, including Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona to facilitate the sexual abuse. LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. delivered two of his own daughters to Bateman to become child “brides” when the girls were nine and 11 years old. LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. also participated in group sexual activity involving children, including one event he watched over a video livestream. Torrance Bistline, who financially supported Bateman’s group, sexually abused one of Bateman’s child “brides” during a group sexual activity. Torrance Bistline later tried to destroy and hide evidence to interfere with the investigation.

LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. and Torrance Bistline each face a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Sentencing for LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. is currently scheduled for December 16, 2024, and sentencing for Torrance Bistline is currently scheduled for December 20, 2024, before United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich. Bateman is currently scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Brnovich on October 28, 2024. Several other defendants have already been sentenced, and the remaining defendants will be sentenced in the coming months.

The Phoenix Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution. The United States Attorney’s Office continues to extend special gratitude to the Arizona Department of Child Safety for its work rescuing and protecting Arizona children impacted by this matter, the Colorado City Police Department, the Iron County (Utah) Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the St. George Resident Agency of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office for their assistance in this matter.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-22-8092-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-135_Bistline

# # #

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

CHICAGO — A Joliet, Ill. man has been sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for sex trafficking and facilitating the sex trafficking of multiple women.

KENDALL GUYTON admitted in a plea agreement that he recruited three women to engage in commercial sex acts from 2017 to 2020. Guyton admitted that he advertised commercial sex acts online and arranged for the victims to meet individuals in various locations in the Chicago area.  He provided the victims with illicit drugs, including heroin or cocaine, and often beat his victims to force them to comply with his demands.

At sentencing, the government presented evidence that Guyton facilitated the trafficking of at least five other victims, including a minor, by beating and sexually assaulting them.

Guyton, 29, pleaded guilty last year to one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion.  U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis imposed the 27-year sentence on Thursday during a hearing in federal court in Chicago.

A co-defendant, GREGORY INGRAM, 45, of Richton Park, Ill., also pleaded guilty to his role in the trafficking of multiple victims, including a minor whom he invited to live in his home while he trafficked her.  Ingram controlled the 14-year-old victim using drugs and threats of harm.  Judge Ellis in May sentenced Ingram to 20 years in federal prison.

The sentences were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Carol Stream, Ill. Police Department, Lisle, Ill. Police Department, Will County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office, Joliet Police Department, Richton Park Police Department, and Downers Grove, Ill. Police Department.

“Defendant’s crimes were incredibly serious and had long-lasting impacts on his victims,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine M. O’Neill and Prashant Kolluri argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum in Guyton’s case.  “Defendant knew these women were vulnerable and he preyed upon these vulnerabilities.”

If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-843-5678 or logging on to http://www.missingkids.com.  The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

PORTLAND, Ore.—A mother and daughter from Tigard, Oregon were arraigned in federal court today after they were indicted for using force and threats to compel three victims, including a minor victim, to work for little or no pay in an adult foster care home.

Marie Gertrude Jean Valmont, 66, and Yolandita Marie Andre, 30, have been charged in a seven-count indictment with conspiring with one another to commit forced labor, committing forced labor, and benefitting from forced labor.

According to court documents, Valmont and Andre, the owners and operators of Velida’s Care Home in Tigard, began their trafficking scheme in 2023 when they convinced two adults and a child from Haiti to travel to the United States to work at Velida’s.

In early September 2023, all three victims arrived in Portland and were immediately taken to Velida’s where they were forced to work long, difficult hours for little or no pay. Valmont and Andre are also alleged to have taken their victims’ immigration paperwork and forbade them from leaving Velida’s under any circumstances. Valmont is further alleged to have thrown items at the victims, threatened to send them back to Haiti and have them killed, and threatened to call the police and make false theft allegations against them.

In the summer of 2023, authorities with the Oregon Department of Justice were alerted to the situation at Velida’s following the minor victim’s disclosure of her indentured servitude to a pediatrician. Shortly after, the minor victim was removed from Velida’s and placed in a foster home. On Thursday, the FBI arrested Valmont and Andre at Velida’s without incident.

Both defendants made their first appearances in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. They were arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and released pending further court proceedings.

Committing and benefitting from forced labor are both punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison per count of conviction.

This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Tigard Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Eliza Carmen-Rodriguez, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If you or someone you know are victims of human trafficking or have information about a potential human trafficking situation, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also submit a tip on the NHTRC website.

If you believe a child is involved in a trafficking situation, you can also submit a tip via the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) CyberTipline or call 1-800-THE-LOST. FBI personnel assigned to NCMEC review information provided to the CyberTipline.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

CHICAGO — A woman and her two daughters were sentenced to federal prison terms today for conspiring to force undocumented West African children to work in the Chicago suburbs.

NAWOMI AWOGA and her two daughters, MARINA OKE and ASSIBA LEA FANDOHAN, were convicted last year of conspiring to conceal, harbor, and shield from detection two children from the West African country of Benin.  Awoga coached the victims, then age 14 and 12, in Benin to lie to U.S. immigration authorities about their family relationships in order to obtain tourist visas.  Awoga then accompanied the children into the United States.  Once in the U.S., Awoga, Oke, and Fandohan harbored the victims in residences in the Chicago suburbs of Country Club Hills and Hazel Crest while forcing the victims to provide labor and services for the defendants’ financial gain.  The defendants used violence against the victims to force them to work both inside the residences and at a nearby hair salon.

U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed the prison sentences today in federal court in Chicago.  Awoga, 75, of Hazel Crest, Ill., was sentenced to eight and a half years. Oke, 38, of Country Club Hills, Ill., was sentenced to seven years and ten months.  Fandohan, 35, of Hazel Crest, Ill., was sentenced to six years and eight months.

The sentences were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations; James Mead, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Mark Woods-Hawkins, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service’s Chicago Field Office. Substantial assistance in the investigation was provided by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Chicago Police Department, U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking, and the U.S. Embassy’s Regional Security Office in Cotonou, Benin.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas and Tiffany Ardam, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin M. Linsley.

“Labor traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause unimaginable harm,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual.  “My office is committed to using every available resource to combat labor trafficking and support victims and survivors.”

“The conviction of Awoga and her daughters underscores our unwavering commitment to bringing justice to the most vulnerable among us,” said HSI SAC Fitzgerald.  “These defendants not only exploited and abused two young children, but they also coerced them into lying to authorities to facilitate their heinous scheme.  This case highlights the relentless efforts of our law enforcement partners to dismantle such criminal networks and ensure that those who perpetrate these despicable acts are held accountable.”

“Nawomi Awoga, Marina Oke, and Assiba Lea Fandohan trafficked two children who they forced to work for them,” said DOL-OIG SAC Mead.  “The Office of Inspector General is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and bring to justice those who engage in labor trafficking and involuntary servitude, particularly when minors are involved.”

“Combating trafficking requires a strong coalition of local and global partners to share resources and information, better equip front-line workers, and track and respond to evolving trafficking trends,” said DSS SAC Woods-Hawkins.  “I’m proud to say that justice was finally served in this child labor trafficking case that has spanned nearly a decade.  It was through our successful partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Benin, Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Justice that we were able to secure this verdict and move closer to delivering justice for the victims.”

Anyone with information about a potential human trafficking situation is encouraged to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline by calling 1-888-373-7888 or texting 233733. More information about the Justice Department’s work to combat human trafficking can be found here.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

HOUSTON – A 27-year-old Houston resident has been sentenced for sex trafficking of a young woman, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Michael Anthony Gonzalez aka Mumbles pleaded guilty June 27.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now ordered Gonzalez to serve 240 months in federal prison. In handing down the prison term, the court noted the things Gonzalez had done, the attitudes he had displayed and the people he had hurt. Gonzalez will also serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

From April 2019 to February 2020, Gonzalez and his co-conspirators worked to recruit young teenage girls and force them to engage in sex acts with “clients” for money in cars and hotels around the Bissonnet “blade.”

The blade or “track” is an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street in Houston where pimps and traffickers commonly place their victims to engage in commercial sex.

The co-conspirators passed around or reassigned victims amongst one another, taught each other “the pimp game” and forced young girls to walk the blade while they kept the proceeds.  

To switch between pimps, the young girls had to pay an exit fee or get “beat out.” Some traffickers required daily quotas each night from their victims. If the victims failed to meet their daily quotas, they were severely punished through beatings and humiliation.

Co-conspirators Jerreck Michael Hilliard aka Jmoney, 35, and Javon Yaw Opoku aka Glizzy, 23, were previously sentenced to 292 and 365 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the sex trafficking conspiracy.

The Houston Police Department initiated the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office as a part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA). Established in 2004, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Suh and Anthony Franklyn prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

The Justice Department today announced that the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) arrested 3,421 violent fugitives, including 216 for homicide, 803 for assault, and 482 for weapons offenses, during the latest phase of its high-impact fugitive apprehension initiative called Operation North Star FY 2024 (ONS FY24).

ONS FY24 enforcement activities covered 74 operational days, from May 10 to Sept. 13, and targeted fugitives and violent offenders in 10 metropolitan areas, prioritizing those who used firearms in the commission of crimes or signaled high risk factors for violence. ONS FY24 targeted violent offenders wanted on warrants for homicide, sexual offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, and firearms violations. During the operation, investigators also seized 534 firearms, more than $508,000 in U.S. currency, and 456 kilograms in illegal narcotics, including 138 pounds and over 550,000 pills of deadly fentanyl.

The 10 metropolitan areas selected for ONS FY24 were identified using data from the National Crime Information Center and the FBI Uniform Crime Report, and included Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas; Charleston and North Charleston, South Carolina; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; Phoenix; St. Louis (to include East St. Louis, Illinois); Birmingham, Alabama; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Dayton, Ohio; and San Antonio.

“We first launched Operation North Star in 2022 to identify and apprehend the most dangerous fugitives and violent offenders,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “From May to September of this year, the U.S. Marshals Service worked with state and local law enforcement partners in 10 metropolitan areas to arrest more than 3,400 fugitives and violent offenders and seize large quantities of firearms and fentanyl. I am deeply grateful to every Deputy U.S. Marshal, Task Force Officer, investigator, and police officer who carried out these arrests, and who did so at great risk to themselves.”

“Over the past year, the Marshals Service conducted Operation North Star in 10 cities across the country experiencing high levels of gun violence,” said USMS Director Ronald L. Davis. “Over 3,000 dangerous fugitives, including over 200 homicide suspects, were apprehended and removed from neighborhoods. The success of this operation is the result of the outstanding combined efforts of our Deputies and Task Force Officers, along with strong collaboration with the community and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”

Since July 2022, in a total of 30 locations, USMS Operation North Star initiatives have resulted in the apprehension of more than 10,200 wanted fugitives, including 1,153 charged with homicide, in addition to the removal of more than 1,425 weapons associated with violent crime. The agency utilized a data-driven, evidence-based approach to remove the dangerous criminals who are the drivers of violence in those communities. The concept behind interagency law enforcement operations such as ONS evolved largely from regional and district fugitive task forces. Since the 1980s, the USMS has combined its resources and expertise with local, state, and federal agencies to find and apprehend dangerous fugitives.

Significant arrests:

Aaron Michael Jones was arrested on May 20, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by members of the Middle Louisiana Task Force. He was wanted by the Baton Rouge Police Department for home invasion, domestic abuse battery, and child endangerment.

Hayden Bates-Vellmure, Jordan Elijah Jackson, Allan Gilbert, and Patrick Biscoe were arrested on May 22, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas, by members of the North Texas Fugitive Task Force. The four were wanted on charges relating to a drive-by shooting, which injured multiple children. The arrest team recovered nine handguns and one shotgun.

Garron Stevenson was arrested on May 21, in St. Louis, by USMS personnel from the Eastern District of Missouri. He was wanted for the unlawful use of a weapon and first-degree murder after opening fire at a street racing event, striking seven people and killing a 14-year-old. An AR-15 style rifle and a revolver were recovered during the arrest.

Michael Muldovan was arrested on Aug. 15, in Sterling, Virginia, by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. He was wanted in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for first degree statutory rape and indecent liberties with a child.

View ONS FY24 operational photographs here.

View the ONS FY24 B-Roll video here.

For more information on ONS FY24 visit USMarshals.gov.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

The FBI, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, is issuing a national public safety alert regarding an explosion in incidents of children and teens being coerced into sending explicit images online and extorted for additional explicit material or money—a crime known as sextortion.

Over the past year, law enforcement agencies have received over 7,000 reports related to the online sextortion of minors, resulting in at least 3,000 victims, primarily boys. More than a dozen sextortion victims were reported to have died by suicide. The FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners implore parents and caregivers to engage with their kids about sextortion schemes so we can prevent them in the first place.

Sextortion schemes occur in online environments where young people feel most comfortable—using common social media sites, gaming sites, or video chat applications that feel familiar and safe. On these platforms, predators often use fake accounts and target minors.

Through deception, sextortionists convince the young person to produce an explicit video or photo. Once predators acquire the images, they often threaten to release the compromising material unless the victim sends additional sexually explicit material. Some of these criminals demand money or gift cards to keep them from releasing the compromising material in their possession. Often, these predators demand payment through a variety of peer-to-peer payment applications. In many cases, however, sextortionists release the images even if additional material is sent or payments are made. The shame, fear, and confusion that victims feel when they are caught in this cycle often prevents them from asking for help or reporting the abuse and may drive them towards self-harm.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana prosecuted several “sextortion” related cases in recent years, including the following:

United States v. Kyle Peterson:  Between March of 2020 and March of 2021, Kyle Peterson persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Beginning on March 20, 2020, Peterson used the social media platforms Omegle and Snapchat to contact minors, including Victim 1. Victim 1 was twelve years old at the time of contact with Peterson. Knowing the victim was a child, Peterson began to groom her by sending her sexually explicit images and videos online. The material Peterson distributed to Victim 1 included an image depicting sadomasochistic behavior and images and videos depicting sexual abuse of animals.

Peterson engaged in sexually explicit video chats with the child and instructed her to send him sexually explicit videos of herself. When Victim 1 stopped complying with Peterson’s continuous demands, he began threatening to disseminate her sexually explicit images and videos to her family and friends and post them on the Internet.

Peterson was convicted and sentenced to 22 years in federal prison in December 2022.

United States v. Buster Hernandez:  In August 2017, Buster Hernandez was initially charged with sexually exploiting a minor, threatening to use an explosive device, and threatening to kill, kidnap, or injure another person. Those charges eventually extended to include 41 separate allegations including: production of child sexual abuse materials, coercion and enticement of minors, receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse material, the threatened use of explosive devices, extortion, threats to kill, kidnap or injure other persons, witness tampering, obstruction of justice and retaliation against a victim. The offense conduct included the actual or attempted sextortion of at least 375 victims including those from two foreign countries, threats to kill, rape, and kidnap hundreds, and threats to use explosive devices against Plainfield and Danville High Schools, the Shops at Perry Crossing, and a local Walmart.

Hernandez also sexually exploited and threatened several other minor victims in Hendricks County and other cities in Indiana. When victims stopped complying with his demands, he posted sexually explicit images and videos that the victim had sent against their will and often threatened to kill them and their families. 

Hernandez was convicted and sentenced to 75 years in federal prison in March 2021.

“Sexual exploitation of children is a despicable crime that may go unrecognized by friends and family of the victims. In this digital age, it is imperative that we stay informed of the deception and other tactics sexual predators use to harm our children,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Victims of sextortion may feel confused, embarrassed, and as if there is no escape. I strongly urge parents and caregivers to engage with the children in their lives to discuss this crime and help law enforcement agencies prevent the abuse before it happens.”

What if you or your child are a victim?

If young people are being exploited, they are victims of a crime and should report it. Contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at tips.fbi.gov.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has outlined steps parents and young people can take if they or their child are a victim of sextortion, including:

• Remember, the predator is to blame, not your child or you.
• Get help before deciding whether to pay money or otherwise comply with the predator. Cooperating or paying rarely stops the blackmail and continued harassment.
• REPORT the predator’s account via the platform’s safety feature.
• BLOCK the predator and DO NOT DELETE the profile or messages because that can be helpful to law enforcement in identifying and stopping them.
• Let NCMEC help get explicit images of you off the internet.
• Visit missingkids.org/IsYourExplicitContentOutThere to learn how to notify companies yourself or visit cybertipline.org to report to us for help with the process.
• Ask for help. This can be a very complex problem and may require help from adults or law enforcement.
• If you don’t feel that you have adults in your corner, you can reach out to NCMEC for support at gethelp@ncmec.org or call NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST.

Take a moment to learn how sextortion works and how to talk to your children about it. Information, resources, and conversation guides are available at fbi.gov/StopSextortion.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

An indictment was unsealed today in the Western District of Wisconsin charging a Wisconsin man with one count of labor trafficking. 

According to the indictment, between August 2020 and Aug. 5, 2022, Austin Koeckeritz, 29, used force, threats of force and coercion, to cause an adult woman to engage in forced labor for nearly two years.

The charge of forced labor carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin Timothy M. O’Shea and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office made the announcement. 

The FBI Milwaukee Field Office and the River Falls Police Department conducted the investigation. The Pierce County District Attorney’s Office provided assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Kraus for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorneys Slava Kuperstein and Julie Pfluger of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.

The FBI is asking anyone with information about Austin Koeckeritz to contact the FBI Milwaukee Field Office at (414) 276-4684. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

 An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today in the Western District of Wisconsin charging a Wisconsin man with one count of labor trafficking. 

According to the indictment, between August 2020 and Aug. 5, 2022, Austin Koeckeritz, 29, River Falls, Wisconsin, used force, threats of force and coercion, to cause an adult woman to engage in forced labor for nearly two years.

The charge of forced labor carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin Timothy M. O’Shea and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office made the announcement. 

The FBI Milwaukee Field Office and the River Falls Police Department conducted the investigation. The Pierce County District Attorney’s Office provided assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Kraus for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorneys Slava Kuperstein and Julie Pfluger of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.

The FBI is asking anyone with information about Austin Koeckeritz to contact the FBI Milwaukee Field Office at (414) 276-4684. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

 An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.