CAMDEN, N.J. — A New Jersey woman was sentenced Wednesday to 45 months in federal prison for coercing two women into performing domestic labor and childcare in her home under threats, surveillance, and abuse, federal officials announced.
Bolaji Bolarinwa, 51, of Moorestown, was convicted on multiple charges following a two-week trial, including two counts of forced labor, one count of alien harboring for financial gain, and two counts of document servitude. U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams imposed the sentence in Camden federal court, along with three years of supervised release, a $35,000 fine, and over $87,000 in restitution.
Prosecutors said Bolarinwa, a U.S. citizen originally from Nigeria, recruited both victims between 2015 and 2016 under false pretenses. She confiscated their passports and used physical and psychological abuse to compel them to work long hours without pay. One victim entered the U.S. in December 2015 and was forced to work nearly nonstop for a year. A second arrived in April 2016 on a student visa and was also coerced into domestic work under similar conditions.
The second victim reported the abuse to a college professor, prompting an FBI investigation that led to Bolarinwa’s arrest. Both victims lived in Bolarinwa’s home until October 2016.
“This prosecution should send a strong message that such forced labor will not be tolerated in our communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon.
Key points
- Bolaji Bolarinwa sentenced to 45 months for forced labor and related crimes
- Two women were coerced into unpaid domestic labor through abuse and threats
- Victims lived under surveillance and had their documents confiscated
Federal authorities condemn exploitation of immigrant victims
Officials said Bolarinwa exploited the victims’ immigration status and used fear and isolation to maintain control over them. The victims were subjected to verbal threats, physical abuse, and inhumane working conditions.
“Today’s sentence vindicates the rights of two vulnerable women who the defendant subjected to grueling hours and coercive abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey.
FBI Newark’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly encouraged the public to report suspicious activity, noting that victims in such cases often live “in plain sight.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Newark Field Office and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.