KC Star: Scammed foreign workers were paying double for their rent (Giant Labor Solutions charged))

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/1237639.html

By MARK MORRIS
The Kansas City Star


Ellen Hudson
These five workers from the Dominican Republic were brought to the U.S. by a staffing agency, went to work in Huntsville, Ala., but lost their jobs in April. They are (from left) Ronny Marty, Roberto Castillo, Cristian Rodriguez, Ivernia Jimenez and Esteban Castillo.


Ronny Marty had no idea how badly his employer was ripping him off until — on the verge of homelessness — he showed his pay stubs to his landlord in April.

The landlord’s jaw dropped in shock and outrage. Marty and his two roommates were being charged about $900 a month for a Huntsville, Ala., apartment that cost the employer only $400.

Realizing that the men were being scammed, the landlord offered help.

Now, nearly two months later, it’s the Kansas City employment firm that is in big trouble.

A federal judge unsealed an indictment recently that accuses Giant Labor Solutions, two other companies and 12 people of operating a nationwide human trafficking and racketeering scheme.

The enterprise purportedly lured more than a thousand foreign workers, including Marty, from the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Philippines to come to the United States and work as contract labor, sometimes for pennies an hour.

[Wednesdays]

1. K&R

:kick:

[dmr]

2. Got them on RICO - these are very bad people

From Wyoming:

http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2009/06/03/homepage_lead/doc4a2732859eb78927323549.txt
- snip -
A 45-count federal grand jury indictment charged them with racketeering, forced labor trafficking, immigration violations, identity theft, visa fraud, extortion, money laundering and other violations in Wyoming and 13 other states. Convictions on many of the charges carry penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment, and up to $500,000 in fines.

"This RICO indictment alleges an extensive and profitable criminal enterprise in which hundreds of illegal aliens were employed at hotels and other businesses across the country," said Acting U.S. Attorney Matt Whitworth.

"The defendants allegedly used false information to acquire fraudulent work visas for these foreign nationals. Many of their employees were allegedly victims of human trafficking who were coerced to work in violation of the terms of their visa without proper pay and under the threat of deportation. The defendants also required them to reside together in crowded, substandard and overpriced apartments," Whitworth said.

The Wyoming hotels themselves are not under investigation.

This criminal enterprise allegedly used the Internet to recruit foreign workers legally in the U.S. and from overseas to pay up to $5,000 for fees supposedly to secure visas or to extend visas about to expire, according to the indictment.

After the workers signed up with Giant Labor Solutions and the other two firms -- Five Star Cleaning LLC and Crystal Management Inc. -- the companies' managers would allow the visas to expire. That caused the foreign workers to become illegal aliens and rendered them incapable of finding other work, according to the indictment. The scheme involved violations of numerous immigration and labor laws, according to the indictment.

These firms would approach hotels, casinos, contractors and other employers with the offer of a labor pool in exchange for a single payment to the firms for wages, housing and other necessities, according to the indictment.

But Giant Labor Solutions deducted money from the workers' paychecks for transportation, uniform fees and exorbitant rent, leaving them with little if nothing to show for their work, according to the indictment. Giant and the other firms would threaten the workers who wanted to leave with physical harm, deportation or legal action, according to the indictment.
- snip -

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Hmmm ... what's the deal with H'ville and sleazy labor contractors?

I wonder if there's a connection between Giant and Blair ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2797750&mesg_id=2797750

http://www.waaytv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7795914