Chester County man charged with human trafficking for allegedly forcing immigrant girls to work for him, officials say
A Chester County man is facing human trafficking charges after being accused of forcing two young immigrant girls to work for him, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office announced on Monday.
Officials say Ramiro Caal Jolomana forced the juvenile girls, ages 14 and 17, to work on a mushroom farm, with little compensation, while threatening to have them punished or deported if they strayed from him.
Investigators say the girls were allegedly being charged for "debts" after being brought into the U.S. by Jolomana.
The 14-year-old girl was allegedly brought to Pennsylvania from Mexico. Investigators say she was forced to work 16-hour shifts, seven-day work weeks, only to have her paycheck signed over to Jolomna and his wife, according to officials.
The girl was also allegedly forced to perform domestic chores, such as cleaning Jolomna's house.
The 17-year-old girl was brought into the country as a sponsorship and was allegedly subjected to similar conditions, officials said.
"The girl wanted to provide for her sick father and other family back home in Guatemala, but after Jolomna took the majority of her wages, she had very little money left," according to officials.
"This is a disturbing set of facts involving a man preying on vulnerable girls who wanted to make an honest living and help their families back home," Attorney General Dave Sunday said. "Labor trafficking, while not as often in the headlines, is cruel and dehumanizing behavior that forces victims into a routine of helplessness and silence."
Jolomna is being charged with felony counts of trafficking in individuals and involuntary servitude, among other related offenses.
He was arraigned and bail was set at $1 million.
