Guatemalan man sentenced life in prison for role in forced-labor scheme
By SAMUEL LISEC slisec@news-gazette.com Apr 8, 2024
URBANA — A Champaign man was sentenced Monday to life in prison for his role in coercing two minors and a third victim into a yearslong forced-labor scheme.
Domingo Francisco-Juan, 43, a Guatemalan national, received the sentence in the Central District of Illinois U.S. Courthouse after he pleaded guilty in August 2023 to forced labor, conspiracy to commit forced labor, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the U.S Department of Justice, said it was the first life sentence imposed on a defendant through the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act in the past decade. Clarke described Francisco-Juan as the “catalyst and driver” out of his three siblings who were all charged with crimes related to forcing three young girls to work in their homes in the Shadowwood Trailer Park in Champaign between December 2015 and March 2021.
The girls were forced to baby-sit, cook and clean the homes and were also made to work in local hotels, factories and a restaurant.
“What these young women were forced to endure at the hands of these defendants was nothing short of a nightmare,” U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris said.
More:
https://www.news-gazette.com/news/guatemalan-man-sentenced-life-in-prison-for-role-in-forced-labor-scheme/article_0acf4810-93f1-5e32-904c-98c30f71d38d.html
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Earlier articles:
A federal grand jury in the Central District of Illinois returned a nine-count indictment charging Domingo Francisco-Juan, Lorenza Domingo-Castaneda, and Catarina Domingo-Juan, siblings and Guatemalan nationals, with conspiracy to commit forced labor, forced labor, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and kidnapping. (Macon County Sheriff's Office)
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According to an announcement about the indictment, the family falsely promised and better life and education in order to get permission from the minors' parents to be brought to the U.S.
Domingo-Castaneda and Domingo-Juan also allegedly forced a third victim to work in their homes and outside their homes at local businesses. The indictment further alleges that the defendants isolated the victims in their homes, restricted their communications with their family in Guatemala, and subjected them to physical, verbal and psychological abuse, among other coercive means.
If convicted on all charges, the defendants face sentences of up to life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
More:
https://khqa.com/news/local/central-illinois-family-charged-with-kidnapping-forced-labor