Guilty: Burlington County Couple Forced Children Brought to the U.S. to Do Domestic Labor, Child Care

CAMDEN, N.J. -- A Burlington County couple face years in prison after they were recently convicted of forcing two victims to perform domestic labor and child care in their home, according to the U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division

As previously reported by TAPinto, Bolaji Bolarinwa, 50, and Isiaka Bolarinwa, 67, both of Moorestown, were indicted in 2002.

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An investigation found that between 2015 and 2016 the pair, who are originally from Nigeria but are U.S. citizens, recruited two victims to come to the United States and then coerced them to perform domestic labor and childcare services for their children through physical harm, threats of physical harm, isolation, constant surveillance and psychological abuse.

The defendants engaged in this venture knowing that both victims were out of lawful status while working in their home and unlawfully confiscating the victim's passports.

“These defendants engaged in an egregious bait-and-switch, luring the victims with false promises of a life and an education in the United States, and instead subjected them to grueling hours, physical abuse and psychological abuse,” said Sellinger. “Forced labor and human trafficking are abhorrent crimes that have no place in our society, and I am grateful to our team of prosecutors, agents and support staff for ensuring that justice was done in this case.”

According to documents and evidence presented during the trial, when the first victim arrived in the U.S. in December 2015, Bolarinwa confiscated her passport and coerced her through threats of physical harm to her and her daughter, verbal abuse, isolation and constant surveillance to compel her to work every day, around-the-clock for nearly a year. Isiaka was aware of his wife’s threats and abusive behavior toward the victim and directly benefited from the victim’s cooking, cleaning and childcare.

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The couple then recruited a second victim to come to the U.S. on a student visa in April 2016. Bolarinwa similarly confiscated her passport and coerced her to perform household work and childcare but relied more heavily on physical abuse.

On at least one occasion, Bolarinwa also physically abused the second victim, and he was aware of his wife’s coercive, abusive behavior toward the second victim and directly benefited from her cleaning and childcare. The two victims lived and worked in the Bolarinwa home until October 2016, when the second victim notified a professor at her college, who reported the information to the FBI.

“Imagine showing up in a foreign land, hoping for a better life, and ending up trapped with no place to go and no one to turn to for help,” FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “The victims in this investigation suffered in unimaginable ways at the hands of their captors, enduring years of physical and mental abuse. Human trafficking often takes on many different forms and can hide in plain sight. We want everyone to know if you or anyone you know is a victim – you can come to us for help. We will bring your tormentors to justice.”

“The defendants exploited the victims’ trust and then inflicted physical and mental abuse against them, all so they could keep the victims working for their profit,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “Human trafficking is a heinous crime, and this verdict should send the very clear message that the Justice Department will investigate and vigorously prosecute these cases to hold human traffickers accountable and bring justice to their victims.”

Bolarinwa was found guilty of two counts of forced labor, one count of alien harboring for financial gain and two counts of document servitude following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court. The jury also convicted Bolarinwa of two counts of forced labor and one count of alien harboring for financial gain.

The pair were acquitted of a second count of alien harboring for financial gain.

The defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each forced labor count. The defendants face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the alien harboring count and Bolaji faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each unlawful document conduct count. They will also be required to pay mandatory restitution to the two victims and each face a fine on each count of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty verdict.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For more information about human trafficking, please visit https:// humantraffickinghotline.org . Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at https:// www.justice.gov/humantrafficking .

For more local news, visit TAPinto.net