The American Red Cross

09 September 2010

Mordecai, from biblical character to body trafficker

The Los Angeles based Global Horizans Manpower Inc. CEO, Mordechai Orian, surrendered Friday in Honolulu after being charged with labor trafficking.

Mordechai has plead not guilty to exploiting 400 Thai workers - forcing them to work in US farms in Hawaii, Washington, California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

Thailand recruiters made promises of high wages and three years of employement. Workers making roughly $1,000/year were charged fees of $9,500 to $21,000 to gain employement. Recruiters also confiscated their passports, and threatened them with deportation.

Mordechai, three of his employees and two Thailand recruiters were charged last Thursday facing anywhere from five years to 70 years in prison.

Finally. An investigation, indictment and arrests of the individuals these trafficking laws were made for. So it seems.