N.J. man is sentenced to more than 24 years in prison for human trafficking, forced labor

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/07/nj_man_is_sentenced_to_more_th.html

Published: Monday, July 12, 2010, 6:12 PM Updated: Monday, July 12, 2010, 9:45 PM

ESSEX COUNTY — Lassissi Afolabi arrived at federal court today expecting to face as much as 12 years in prison for his role in a human trafficking operation that took advantage of young girls and women from West Africa — smuggled into the country to work long hours for no pay, braiding hair.

Instead, he was sentenced to more than twice that, and ordered to repay his victims $3.9 million.

"The conduct for which this defendant is being sentenced is horrific," said U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares in Newark.

In the high-profile case prosecutors have equated to slavery, Afolabi, an immigrant from Togo, had been charged with manipulating a visa program to bring women from villages in Ghana and Togo to the United States. Once here, they were forced to surrender their passports and made to work in hair salons in Newark and East Orange. Forbidden to learn English, they were told not to make friends and were not allowed to earn any money or keep tips — on pain of beatings and other harsh punishment. Some were sexually abused.

[burnsei sensei]

1. I guess there's a 13th Amendment after all.

nt

[gratuitous]

2. Good

More like this, Your Honor. When these vermin are caught, tried and convicted, sentences like this are about the only thing that's going to deter this reprehensible conduct. Here's hoping this case sets a minimum penalty for the likes of Mr. Afolabi.

[LostinVA]

4. No parole from Federal prison, either

[valerief]

3. So the people who had the girls work for them got off scott free?

Just like all the employers of illegal workers.

I'm surprised the poor girls didn't get imprisoned. Well, they would if they were in Arizona.