Thread: 5 Charged with smuggling Ukrainian migrants

Department of Justice Press Release

For Immediate Release
June 30, 2010 U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 514-2007/TDD (202) 514-1888

Five Brothers Charged in Human Trafficking Scheme that Smuggled Young Ukrainian Migrants

WASHINGTON—An indictment unsealed today in Philadelphia charged Omelyan Botsvynyuk, Stepan Botsvynyuk, Mykhaylo Botsvynyuk, Dmytro Botsvynyuk, and Yaroslav Botsvynyuk, a/k/a Yaroslav Churuk, with extortion and conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) for their alleged involvement in a human trafficking operation, the Justice Department announced.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Thomas E. Perez, U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Janice K. Fedarcyk of the Philadelphia Field Office and ICE Special Agent-in-Charge John P. Kelleghan announced the indictment.

Four of the Botsvynyuk brothers were arrested today and are charged with conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, from the fall of 2000 through the spring of 2007, by operating a human trafficking organization that smuggled young Ukrainian migrants into the United States and forced them to work for the brothers with little or no pay.

According to the indictment, the defendants promised the victims they would earn $500 per month with free room and board by working for the Botsvynyuk organization. They smuggled the workers into the United States and put them to work as cleaning crews in retail stores, private homes, and office buildings without paying them. They used physical force, threats of force, sexual assault, and debt bondage to keep the victims in involuntary servitude. The indictment further alleges that even after some of the victims escaped, the defendants continued with their extortionist activities in order to recoup the organization’s investment in the workers. If direct threats failed and the workers did not return or make good on their debts, the Botsvynyuk brothers threatened violence to the workers’ families still residing in Ukraine. In one instance, according to the indictment, Omelyan Botsvynyuk threatened to place a worker’s then 9-year-old daughter into prostitution to pay off the family debt.

“Human trafficking is a scourge that denies human beings their fundamental right to freedom. Those who prey on the most vulnerable through force, fraud, or coercion will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,â€

The brother were purported to --have said "Si, se puede!" as they were arested.

Originally Posted by misterbill

The brother were purported to --have said "Si, se puede!" as they were arested.

"nehai yoho shlack harachi trafe!" comes to mind. I speak fluent Ukrainian.