Abilene Restaurant Owner Accused of Human Trafficking, Forcing Immigrant to Work for Free
- Post AuthorBy Henry Wolff
- Post DateTue Nov 08 2022
The owner of an Abilene restaurant has been charged with human trafficking, accused of holding an undocumented immigrant in a home and forcing him to work with no money or food for six months.
Hai Zhuang was arrested on a Trafficking of Persons warrant {snip}
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This immigrant told investigators he was smuggled into the United States with 12 others from Hondarus in January 2021 {snip}
When he arrived, the documents state this immigrant was at the Fun Noodle Bar on Southwest Drive in Abilene, and he saw Zhuang, who is the owner, exchange a large stack of money with the man who brought him there.
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However, this immigrant says Zhuang took him to a house in Abilene and hid his passport, and the documents state the immigrant claims he was then forced to work 10-to-12-hour days {snip}
This immigrant also said he was beaten by Zhuang, and when he requested his first $2,000 payment, Zhuang told him “that they owned him now,” according to the documents.
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- Post TagsAsian Immigrants, Crime, Immigration