A federal jury in Camden, New Jersey, has found Nigerian couple Bolaji Bolarinwa, 50, and Isiaka Bolarinwa, 67, guilty of forced labor and related crimes after a two-week trial.
The couple reportedly coerced two individuals into domestic labor, including childcare, between December 2015 and October 2016.
Bolaji was convicted of two counts of forced labor, one count of alien harboring for financial gain, and two counts of document servitude, while Isiaka was convicted of two counts of forced labor and one count of alien harboring for financial gain.
Speaking at the end of the trial on April 24, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke stated that the defendants lured the victims with false promises and then exploited them. U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger described their actions as an “egregious bait-and-switch.”
The Department of Justice noted that a sentencing hearing will be scheduled later. However, both defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each forced labor count and 10 years for the alien harboring count, along with fines and mandatory restitution to the victims.
