The United State Department of Justice announced this in a statement at the weekend.
Bolarinwa, 51, of Moorestown, previously 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.
Judge Williams imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial, from December 2015 to October 2016, Bolarinwa — originally from Nigeria, but living in New Jersey as a U.S. citizen — recruited two victims to come to the United States and then coerced them to perform domestic labor and childcare services for her children through physical harm, threats of physical harm, isolation, constant surveillance and psychological abuse.
The defendant engaged in this conduct knowing that one of the victims was out of lawful immigration status while working in her home.
Once the first victim arrived in the United States 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.
Bolarinwa then recruited a second victim to come to the United States on a student visa. When the second victim arrived in the United States in April 2016, Bolarinwa similarly confiscated her passport and coerced her to perform household work and childcare but relied more heavily on physical abuse.
The two victims lived and worked in Bolarinwa’s home until October 2016, when the second victim notified a professor at her college, who reported the information to the FBI.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams sentenced Bolarinwa to three years of supervised release, imposed a $35,000 fine, and ordered Bolarinwa to pay $87,518.72 in restitution to the victims of her offenses.
“The defendant exploited her relationship with the victims to lure them to the United States with false promises,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
“The defendant confiscated the victims’ immigration documents and subjected them to threats, physical force, and mental abuse to coerce them to work long hours for minimal pay. This prosecution should send a strong message that such forced labor will not be tolerated in our communities.
“Today’s sentence vindicates the rights of two vulnerable women who the defendant subjected to grueling hours and coercive abuse in her home,” said U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for District of New Jersey. “Forced labor and human trafficking are atrocious crimes that have no place in our society. My office and the entire Department of Justice is committed to standing up for vulnerable human trafficking victims and holding their traffickers accountable.”
“Human nature is generally good. There are situations though that prove some people display more cruel and inhumane behavior,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office.
“Bolarinwa lured women with false promises, held them captive, and forced them clean her home and care for her children. Then took it a sickening step further by physically abusing them. Luckily, one of the victims had the courage to tell someone.
We ask anyone who notices an odd situation, something that doesn't look or feel right, to please call us so we can help victims that may be hiding in plain sight.”
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.
From Punch
Nice one, there are many people like her all over abroad. I wish this kind of law will be effective and implemented here, so many people will be in jail.
ReplyDeleteGod's favor. Explain well
DeleteThere are many young people especially girls being deceived into traveling abroad for study/work, only for them to get there and from the airport their documents are collected (consficated) and they are made to do what they never bargained for. This was my friend's younger sister story, she was lucky to escaped after months of doing ahewo in one of the countries in Europe, the story long oh, but our happiness was that she made it back to Nigeria alive, some of her friends were not lucky.
DeleteWhat about step moms that turned their step kids into slaves here in Naija, or parents that send their minor kids to work for people for money, that's child labour dear 17:30
Serves her right.
ReplyDeleteI think Ben Bruce said something about this recently
Always be kind. It's better.
ReplyDeleteThank God they got her. Her reign of terror is over. They should put her arse to hard labour and let her clean the prison toilets and mop the floors. Then put her on brick and block
ReplyDeletemaking duties. Let her work, not eat prison food and get fat. She should even be put on 010 diet regimen.
I so much love this, may God expose everyone exploiting their fellow human being.
ReplyDeleteSome women can be so cruel. They can just not value other people's children. Na only their children them know.
ReplyDeleteMy aunt whom I lived with is on the same table. It's is God that will deal with her for all the evil she and her husband did to me. I blame my mother for allowing me to go live with them. My mother was not poor or sick. She just heard "ABROAD" and she let them take me away with them while my other 5 sibilings who lived with her, had the best life, best schools, all graduate and married with children. I'm 35 not married and just starting to go back to school to earn a degree. My dear I suffered but God didn't let me down. God and Jesus are my only family. My mother may have ruined my life because of her greediness, she sent me abroad when I was 5 years old just so I would grow and send them money but unfortunately my wicked aunt only plan was to destroy my life to pay back my mother because according to her my mother maltreated her. Now I'm grown God has given me a second chance to make it in life and I will not let it pass me by. When I have enough money I will sue my aunt and uncle for all the abuse they put me through. I won't stop till I see them behind bars.
DeleteI wish this there is a stiff penalty for such conduct here.
ReplyDeleteThe Truth of this case is in the middle. The woman and the two alleged victims know the truth. Unfortunately, Oyibo laws do not recognize that middle truth so the alleged victims rode on the law.
ReplyDeleteWhat are you talking about.?? Do you know that some wealthy people use people and refuse to even let them get an education. I have a friend that won the visa lottery and travelled to the US in 1996. Two years later, l came in 1998 and called her. She told me she was working as a CNA.(Nursing Assistant) This is someone who used to work in Shell. She was staying with a couple who had three kids. They turned her into their babysitter. Would not let her go out nor work. She was legal with a green card and after two years, someone close to the family who was a regular helped her find a job and left when they went on vacation. That was how she got that job and eventually went to Nursing School.
DeleteJut imagine her fate if that friend did not help her leave that house.
Anon 20.11, pls stop telling lies. How can someone working full time in She'll Nigeria go to the US and be working as a CNA? You think all BVs are morons like you? Tell us a more intelligent tale
Delete