Three arrested in wake of ‘massive’ labor trafficking bust in Georgia

He confirmed that the plant was just one of eight locations searched, in addition to seven residences where workers were being held in cramped conditions.

Those sweeps yielded two arrests: Wellmade Industries’ owner, Zhu Chen, and his nephew, Jiayi Chen. A third person connected to the company, Jian Jun Lu, was arrested April 5. All three face felony charges of “trafficking of persons for labor or sexual servitude.”

At bond hearings on April 7, Assistant District Attorney Austin Waldo said Wellmade Industries’ workers had their travel documents confiscated once they arrived to the U.S., making it more difficult for them to leave, according to coverage from WBHF. Employees were Chinese nationals who had been recruited through a temporary visa program and promised high salaries. Instead, they were allegedly required to work 12-hour shifts, and they were not allowed to leave the factory or their residence.

Waldo said there were several calls to authorities reporting slave labor-like conditions, WBHF reported.

Both Zhu and Jiayi Chen were granted $200,000 bonds.

Conditions set by Judge Neal Brunt include the following: the Chens must have no contact with Wellmade Industries employees and must stay away from the facility. Their whereabouts will be tracked electronically, and they can only leave their houses to attend medical or legal appointments, to go to church, or to shop for essentials.

In a statement, Zhu Chen’s attorney, Colette Resnik Steel, said her client has lawfully resided and worked in the U.S. for over a decade.

“He is a proud American citizen who has invested a tremendous amount of time, energy and money to create a productive and successful manufacturing business in Georgia,” she said. “He has always followed the law and has relied on prominent lawyers to ensure that the business is in compliance with the law.”

Jiayi Chen’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

Chinese nationals were recently at the center of another labor exploitation case in Georgia. A group of Savannah-based Chinese workers sought law enforcement’s help, alleging that over a month had passed before they were paid for their work at a local warehouse, where they had been loading and unloading trucks. Earlier this year, they were granted hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages and damages.

“Exploitation of immigrant workers is unfortunately a reality within this country and in Georgia across industries, visa classifications, workers from all over the world have been impacted,” said Anjali Nair, deputy director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta. “When repeated practices arise of workers from particular countries, we should take note of the need for reforms prioritizing accessible, multilingual information that empowers each individual within this country to enforce their rights.”

At the April 4 news conference, Schrank confirmed that officials did question workers about their immigration status, in addition to asking if they’d been victims of trafficking. He said that there are avenues for trafficking victims and witnesses of crime to remain in the country, even if they’re here illegally.

“No one that was encountered at that site has been yet removed from the United States,” he said. “Largely, we were focused on foreign nationals that were being victimized.”