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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Five Indian-Americans charged with sex trafficking, visa fraud, forced child labor in Nebraska; details here
Five Indian-Americans have been charged in Nebraska with sex trafficking, visa fraud, and money laundering involving over $565,000 (approximately ₹5 crore) amid Trump's immigration crackdown and ongoing raids in major US cities. Ten juveniles were rescued from a labor trafficking network that compelled youngsters under the age of 12 to work long hours in filthy, dangerous, and unhygienic hotels for little to no pay, according to court filings. The US Attorney's Office, District of Nebraska, revealed the names of the Indian-Americans, which include Amit Prahladbhai 'Amit' Chaudhari, 32, Amit Babubhai 'Matt' Chaudhari, 33, Maheshkumar 'Mahesh' Chaudhari, 38, Rashmi Ajit 'Falguni' Samani, 42, and Kentakumar 'Ken' Chaudhari, 36, owned, ran, and oversaw several hotels in the state. According to the prosecution, these hotels were involved in several illegal schemes. In a press release, US state attorney Lesley Woods stated that the businesses produced significant illicit profits, and authorities seized over $565,000 in cash that may have been used in money laundering. Ten minors rescued Ten juveniles were rescued from a labor trafficking network that compelled youngsters under the age of 12 to work long hours in filthy, dangerous, and unhygienic hotels for little to no pay, according to court filings. Citing one instance, the Department of Justice, revealed that an informant went into a hotel room and discovered immigrant victims dozing on the floor while cockroaches crawled over them. 'There is no evil greater than the evil that seeks to trap, oppress, and exploit human beings for profit or pleasure,' said Woods in the statement. 'Where that evil exists, Nebraska law enforcement working together at the federal, state, and local levels, as occurred in this case, will seek it, find it, root it out, and ensure every rescued victim has an opportunity to obtain justice and freedom from their captors.' Also Read: H1-B visa hiring: Major revelation about firms recruiting foreign workers; 'Americans are not aware that…' Moreover, one of the accused is suspected of abusing the US U visa program, which is intended for victims of specific crimes who have been mistreated and want to help law enforcement with their investigations. A hotel owner allegedly orchestrated a fictitious robbery of a Brow and Lash salon in 2022 to portray another suspect as a victim of crime in an effort to obtain a U visa for her. The hotels were also allegedly utilised for narcotics trafficking, according to the complaint. The hotel owners provided security to traffickers, just as they did for human traffickers, the DOJ said. Smuggling Indian nationals According to the prosecution, one defendant spoke about the price of transporting someone from India to the US. In previous years, a number of hotel workers had crossed the Arizona border knowing they would be staying at defendant-owned hotels. Migrants were transported between Nebraska and Washington in order to illegally obtain driver's licenses, which cost around $1,000 each, as per the complaint.
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Business Standard
Visa fraud, sex trafficking: 5 Indian-Americans abuse US immigration system
The Trump administration, since its first day in office, has tightened its crackdown on immigration-related fraud. In the midst of immigration raids across major US cities, federal authorities have charged five Indian-Americans in Nebraska over sex trafficking, visa fraud and money laundering involving more than $565,000 (around ₹5 crore), according to a press release by the US Attorney's Office, District of Nebraska. Kentakumar 'Ken' Chaudhari, 36, Rashmi Ajit 'Falguni' Samani, 42, Amit Prahladbhai 'Amit' Chaudhari, 32, Amit Babubhai 'Matt' Chaudhari, 33, and Maheshkumar 'Mahesh' Chaudhari, 38, owned, operated and managed a number of hotels in the state. Prosecutors allege these hotels were at the centre of multiple criminal schemes. US state attorney Lesley Woods said in the release, the operations generated large illegal proceeds, with investigators seizing more than $565,000 in cash suspected to be linked to money laundering. Child labour and unsafe living conditions Court documents say ten minors were rescued from a labour trafficking network that forced children under the age of 12 to work long hours in unclean, unsafe and unhealthy hotels for little or no pay. The Department of Justice described one scene where an informant entered a hotel room and found immigrant victims sleeping on the floor, with cockroaches crawling over them as they slept. 'There is no evil greater than the evil that seeks to trap, oppress, and exploit human beings for profit or pleasure,' said Woods. 'Where that evil exists, Nebraska law enforcement working together at the federal, state, and local levels, as occurred in this case, will seek it, find it, root it out, and ensure every rescued victim has an opportunity to obtain justice and freedom from their captors.' Visa scam involving staged robbery One of the accused is also alleged to have abused the US U visa system, which is designed for victims of certain crimes who have suffered abuse and assist law enforcement in investigations. Investigators say a hotel owner arranged a staged robbery of a Brow and Lash salon in 2022 to make another defendant appear as a crime victim, in an attempt to secure her a U visa. Hotels as drug trafficking hubs The complaint also alleges the hotels were used for drug trafficking. According to the DOJ, traffickers received protection from the hotel owners in the same way human traffickers did. Overdoses were reportedly so frequent that at least one hotel kept Narcan — an opioid overdose treatment — at the front desk. A source described a stairwell littered with used drug needles, while drug use in the parking lots was said to be common, a claim also reflected in online guest reviews. Smuggling people from India Prosecutors allege one defendant discussed the cost of bringing someone from India to the US. Several hotel employees had crossed the Arizona border in previous years, telling border officials they would be living at hotels owned by the defendants. The complaint further claims that migrants were moved between Nebraska and Washington to obtain driver's licences fraudulently, with each identification document costing around $1,000.
India Today
4 days ago
- India Today
5 Indian-Americans charged with sex trafficking in Nebraska
US federal authorities have announced that they have arrested five Indian-Americans and charged them with a series of alleged crimes involving labour trafficking, sex trafficking, and harbouring undocumented immigrants at multiple locations in the Omaha metro area and central accused own, operate, and manage several hotels in the area where federal search warrants were executed early Tuesday (US time) at multiple locations, including their hotels, according to a statement issued by the US Attorney's Office, District of accused identified as Kentakumar Chaudhari (36), Rashmi Ajit Samani (42), Amit Prahladbhai Chaudhari (32), Amit Babubhai Chaudhari (33), and Maheshkumar Chaudhari (38). All are residents of Nebraska communities such as Elkhorn, Omaha, and Norfolk. The investigation uncovered that these hotels were allegedly used to exploit vulnerable victims, including ten minors."During the operation, law enforcement officers rescued 10 minors from an alleged labour trafficking conspiracy that involved putting children under the age of twelve to work at hotels for long hours with little to no pay," the statement adult victims were also rescued during the reportedly endured unsanitary living quarters and were coerced into paying for substandard also discovered alleged sex trafficking activities at the hotels, with some victims exploited not only by traffickers but also by hotel management and MEN ALSO ACCUSED OF DRUG TRAFFICKING, STAGING FAKE ROBBERYAdditionally, multiple defendants are alleged to have maintained these hotels as premises to conduct drug trafficking defendant is also accused of attempting to fraudulently obtain U-visas that allow certain crime victims to stay in the US."Allegations in the complaint affidavits reveal that one hotel owner hired a worker at a hotel to stage a fictitious robbery of one of the Brow and Lash salons in 2022. The goal was to secure a U-visa for one of the other defendants by making her a 'victim' of the robbery," the statement AUTHORITIES ALSO SEIZED $565,000 IN CASHAs part of the operation, authorities seized over $565,000 (approximately Rs 4.9 crore) in suspected laundered cash. The US government has also filed legal notices to block the sale or transfer of the hotels under investigation, while the Marshals Service is working to recover additional assets allegedly obtained through criminal statement noted that criminal complaints are charging documents containing one or more individual counts that are merely defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, it added.- EndsMust Watch
