Special Victims Unit
Investigates Human Trafficking for Feds

By: Tom Gentry
Public Information Officer
Independence Police Department

Earlier this year the U. S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Missouri, made a request for the Independence Police Department’s Special Victims Unit (SVU) to assist in a labor/human trafficking case that Immigration Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kansas Department of Labor and Kansas Department of Revenue had been working for several years. The Independence SVU was requested for this investigation because it is the lead agency/grantee for the Bureau of Justice Administration Human Trafficking Grant.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office became concerned as they studied the case that it went far beyond a labor fraud case. They saw indicators of possible human trafficking activity and realized they needed help in determining if human trafficking was indeed present with the case and to what extent. The U.S. Attorney’s Office knew the IPD Special Victims Unit had the necessary expertise and experience with investigating human trafficking crimes, since numerous human trafficking cases had already been prosecuted on a federal level from investigations initiated by the SVU. The IPD Special Victims Unit is the only specialty unit in the Midwest that is solely dedicated, trained, and proficient with investigating human trafficking crimes.

Once the SVU received the case they immediately began investigative operations that focused around a business called Giant Labor Solutions (GLS) which is located in the Westport area of Kansas City, Missouri. It was discovered that GLS had been responsible for bringing approximately 1,000 foreign workers into the United States and distributing them throughout at least 14 different states to work in casinos, hotels, restaurants and construction sites for extremely low wages. The workers were charged unexplained visa fees and transportation fees, which resulted in some of their paychecks having a zero or negative earning amount listed on the checks. Additionally, the workers were forced to live in apartments provided by GLS where they were paying high monthly rental fees and housed with numerous individuals living in each apartment.

As a result of the SVU investigation 12 individuals who operated GLS were indicted on a 45 count, sealed federal indictment charging racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, forced labor trafficking, fraud in foreign labor contracting, aggravated identity theft, harboring illegal aliens, marriage fraud, visa fraud, money laundering, mail fraud, extortion, wire fraud, and numerous other charges. Seizure warrants were issued for 16 vehicles, and numerous bank accounts. Shortly after the indictments, 16 search warrants were issued for various businesses and residences in the Kansas City area. As SVU’s investigation of human trafficking yielded positive results, many of the suspects attempted to flee the country. Law enforcement observed suspects emptying bank accounts, purchasing high dollar electronics equipment and attempting to ship it overseas, and quickly sell vehicles for cash. However, many arrests were made at airports and elsewhere before all suspects were able to leave.

This case has attracted national attention and is still considered an ongoing investigation. The case also shows how local law enforcement, the Independence Police Department, can and does work with other local, state, and federal agencies to investigate crimes that are on a global scale. In today’s world it cannot be otherwise, because many crimes that are initiated in foreign countries can adversely affect citizens locally in the United States. This case also revealed that the type of forced labor as found in the Middle East and Central Asia has now been perpetrated in the United States. The shocking reality for international criminals is the discovery of the Independence Police Department being a world class police department capable of dealing with international crimes. The type of investigation SVU was forced to conduct historically takes a very long time to gather enough evidence for prosecution. Because of their training and experience however, the Independence Police were able to successfully acquire the needed evidence, and obtain the required legal justification for warrants and arrests within a two month period.