3 Accused of Forced Labor of Chinese Nationals at Cartersville Flooring Company's Factory
Prosecutors say the defendants recruited Chinese workers with false promises and forced them into 12-hour shifts, unsafe conditions and debt threats.
- On Tuesday, a federal grand jury indicted Wellmade Industries owner Zhu Chen, 60; his nephew Jiayi Chen, 31; and Chinese national Jianjun Lu, 55, on forced labor and conspiracy charges at their Cartersville, Georgia flooring plant.
- Prosecutors allege the defendants recruited Chinese nationals through false pretenses to work 12-hour shifts, six days a week in unsafe conditions, threatening them with physical violence, deportation, and crippling debt if they stopped.
- U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg stated Zhu also faces alien harboring charges for housing workers without legal status in overcrowded and dirty properties owned by Wellmade, which is now permanently closed.
- If convicted, the three defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, called the indictment a critical step in pursuing justice.
- Customs and Border Protection recently awarded a contract to supply chain firm Exiger to detect illicit trade channels, part of a broader federal crackdown on forced labor and illegal importation affecting United States commerce.
13 Articles
13 Articles
U.S. Attorney Cracks Down on Chinese-Run Forced Factory Labor.
Federal charges have been filed against the owner of a Georgia-based flooring company and two associates for allegedly exploiting Chinese migrants through forced labor and coercion.PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Federal prosecutors in Georgia have charged Wellmade Industries owner Zhu Chen, his nephew Jiayi Chen, and another Chinese national, Jianjun Lu, with forced labor, conspiracy to commit forced labor, and alien harboring over an alleged schem…
3 accused of forced labor of Chinese nationals at Cartersville flooring company's factory
The three men are accused of recruiting Chinese nationals to come to the U.S. and then forcing them to work long shifts, six days a week in unsafe conditions at the Georgia flooring manufacturer.
3 indicted, accused of forced labor of Chinese workers at Cartersville flooring company
Two Cartersville men and a Chinese national were indicted Tuesday in federal court on charges related to forced labor allegations at a flooring manufacturing company in Cartersville.
Chinese national, two U.S. citizens face forced labor charges in Georgia
A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia has indicted three people on forced labor charges connected to a Georgia flooring manufacturer, according to the Justice Department.
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