Law enforcement agents raided the Wellmade Industries Cartersville, Ga.-based manufacturing location on March 26 as part of a multi-year investigation into labor trafficking.
Agents from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation executed search warrants against Wellmade Industries and several homes in the county believed to be employee housing.
The owner, Zhu Chen, and his nephew, Jiayi Jia Chen, were arrested and face charges of trafficking persons for labor servitude.
Federal officials allege the suspects used fraud and coercion to recruit immigrant workers, many from China, and subjected them to harsh working conditions for little pay. The FBI brought in at least 20 linguists and a victim specialist to help the potential victims.
Law enforcement told Channel 2 Action News there were between 300 and 400 foreign nationals working there, all victims.
Courtesy of FBI Atlanta
