CARTERSVILLE, Ga. - Three men are facing federal charges after authorities said they ran a forced labor scheme targeting foreign workers at a Cartersville flooring manufacturing plant.
What we know:
A federal grand jury indicted 60-year-old Zhu Chen, 31-year-old Jiayi Chen and 55-year-old Jianjun Lu for conspiracy to commit forced labor and forced labor, according to federal prosecutors.
Investigators said Zhu Chen, who owns Wellmade Industries, worked with Jiayi Chen and Jianjun Lu to recruit Chinese nationals using false promises. The victims were brought to the U.S. on B-1 and L-1 visas to work at the factory in Cartersville.
Once the victims arrived, the defendants forced them to work 12-hour shifts, six days a week in unsafe conditions, officials said. Authorities said the men paid the workers less than promised and threatened physical violence, deportation and crippling debt if they stopped working.
What's next:
Zhu Chen, Jiayi Chen and Jianjun Lu face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Zhu Chen also faces an alien harboring charge for housing workers without legal status in properties owned by the business.
The indictment contains allegations, and the government must prove the defendants guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leanne Marek and Jennifer Keen, along with trial attorney Elizabeth Hutson, are prosecuting the case.
What we don't know:
Federal officials have not released the exact number of victims involved in the operation or specified when the alleged labor trafficking first began.
The Source: The information in this story is gathered from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.