Wellmade Industries (Cartersville, Ga.) owner Zhu Chen, 60; his nephew, Jiayi Chen, 31; and Jianjun Lu, 55, a Chinese national, were indicted August 12 in federal court on charges including forced labor, conspiracy to commit forced labor, and alien harboring, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The flooring manufacturing facility was raided by law enforcement in March 2025, and resulted in Zhu Chen and Jiayi Chen being arrested for trafficking persons for labor servitude. Federal officials alleged the suspects used fraud and coercion to recruit immigrant workers, many from China, and subjected them to harsh working conditions for little pay. There were between 300 and 400 foreign nationals working there, all victims. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2025.
According to the Department of Justice, “Upon the victims’ arrivals into the United States, the defendants kept their immigration documents and had them work 12-hour shifts, six days a week at the Wellmade Industries factory in Cartersville, Georgia.” The victims were paid less than promised and threatened with deportation and significant debts as they were subjected to verbal, psychological and physical abuse. They were housed in Wellmade-owned residences even though they didn’t have legal status under their visas.
If found guilty, the defendants face a maximum 20 years in prison.
