Image via Wikipedia A St. Charles, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to racketeering conspiracy and foreign labor contracting fraud for his role in an alleged human trafficking scheme.
Andrew Cole, 55, admitted that he lied to workers he recruited in the Dominican Republic, telling them that their pay would be better than it turned out to be. He also acknowledged knowing that other members of the scheme would threaten those workers with deportation if they complained.
In May 2009, prosecutors indicted 12 men in the alleged scheme, which purportedly brought more than 1,000 foreign workers to the Kansas City area.
Some worked in local hotels, as promised, but others were shipped as far away as Alabama and Wyoming to work at different jobs in violation of their guest worker visas.
Cole was the fifth defendant to plead guilty. Of those remaining, two defendants are expected to change their pleas soon, leaving two to face trial in October. Three defendants fled the country.
To reach Mark Morris, call 816-234-4310 or send e-mail to mmorris@kcstar.com.
Posted on Wed, Aug. 18, 2010 10:30 PM
Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/18/2159856/man-pleads-guilty-in-alleged-trafficking.html#ixzz0xMmVj9z6
Eastern Missouri man pleads guilty in alleged human-trafficking scheme - KansasCity.com
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