Minors Forced To Work Farms In Central Ohio: Police

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal agents have busted up a human trafficking ring that authorities say provided underage migrant help to an egg farm in Marion. Three men have already pleaded guilty to their role in the scheme and a fourth, Pablo Duran Ramirez was captured Saturday while trying to cross into Mexico.

The indictment against the men, unsealed Wednesday, alleges that Duran Ramirez, 49, was hired to provide laborers to Trillium Farms, in Marion, one of the nation's largest egg producers. Duran Ramirez did so while knowing some of his workers were victims of human trafficking.

Between April 2012 and December 2014, Duran Ramirez encouraged two other men to smuggle Guatemalan nationals into the U.S. so they could be forced into labor at Trillium, according to the indictment. Eight people were identified as victims of the scheme, six juveniles and two adults.

The three other defendants, who have already pleaded guilty to taking part in the trafficking scheme, said they recruited workers from Guatemala, some as young as 14- or 15-year-old. To recruit the laborers, they would promise good jobs and a chance to attend school in the United States.

The workers would then be smuggled to a trailer park in Marion. The Justice Department described the trailer park as "dilapidated."

To keep the victims working, Duran Ramirez and his cohorts allegedly threatened violence against both the victims and their families. Paychecks were also withheld to keep the victims working.

The workers cleaned chicken coops, unloaded and loaded crates of chickens, de-beaked chickens and vaccinated chickens, the indictment says. Workers would put in 12 hours a day, the Justice Department says.

In 2013 and 2014, Trillium Farms paid Duran Ramirez approximately $6 million for services rendered, the indictment says.

The three convicted traffickers are:

• The lead smuggler and primary enforcer in the trafficking scheme: Aroldo Castillo-Serrano, who has been sentenced to 188 months in prison.
• Ana Angelica Pedro-Juan oversaw the victims when they were in Ohio and has been sentenced to 120 months in prison.
• Conrado Salgado-Soto, who arranged jobs for the victim, was sentenced to 51 months in prison.

The unsealed indictment says Duran Ramirez hired Salgado-Soto as a subcontractor.

Photo from Shutterstock