Federal prosecutors charge Chinese owners of Georgia flooring plant with forced labor scheme
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia indicted Zhu Chen, his nephew Jiayi Chen and associate Jianjun Lu on forced-labor, conspiracy and alien-harboring charges tied to their Cartersville flooring factory.
Federal prosecutors in Georgia have filed an indictment against Zhu Chen, the owner of Wellmade Industries, his nephew Jiayi Chen, and a Chinese national named Jianjun Lu, accusing them of operating a forced-labor operation at the company’s Cartersville flooring plant. The indictment alleges the trio recruited Chinese migrants with promises of legitimate work visas, only to subject them to 12-hour shifts in hazardous conditions, wages far below what was promised, and threats of deportation and overwhelming debt.
The workers were forced to reside in cramped, unsanitary apartments controlled by the defendants, limiting their ability to leave. U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg emphasized that the government will pursue those who traffic vulnerable laborers and violate immigration laws for profit. Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Steven N. Schrank noted that the case is part of a broader crackdown on labor-trafficking rings operating across the United States. The indictment adds to a growing number of recent forced-labor prosecutions involving migrants from various countries.
Why it matters
The case highlights how immigration fraud can be used to exploit vulnerable workers and underscores law-enforcement focus on labor trafficking.
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