A Mexican national, Serafin Bayona, residing illegally in Lexington, Kentucky, has been sentenced to 135 months in prison for his involvement in a forced labor scheme. U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove handed down the sentence on Wednesday.
Bayona admitted to participating in a venture that financially benefited from the forced labor of others. According to his plea agreement, he loaned money to victims, all Mexican nationals living in Mexico at the time, and coordinated their smuggling into the United States. Upon arrival in Lexington, these individuals were housed in properties maintained by Bayona.
The victims were required to repay their debts with added interest after securing employment in the United States. Additionally, Bayona charged them various fees for rent, transportation, cleaning, food, clothing, and obtaining jobs and false identification documents. This led to an ongoing cycle of debt for the victims. When they resisted paying these fees, Bayona reportedly used threats of force against them and their families, including instances involving a firearm.
During searches conducted at properties associated with Bayona, authorities discovered over $50,000 in cash which he acknowledged was generated through his participation in this illegal operation.
Under federal law requirements, Bayona must serve 85 percent of his sentence before release. Following his imprisonment term, he will be under supervision by the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
The sentencing announcement was made jointly by Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson from the FBI's Louisville Field Office; Rana Saoud from Homeland Security Investigations; and Chief Lawrence Weathers of the Lexington Police Department.
The investigation involved collaboration between the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is handling prosecution duties on behalf of the United States.
