A Nigerian woman, Bolaji Bolarinwa, 51, of Moorestown, New Jersey, has been sentenced to 45 months in US prison for forced labor and human trafficking. Bolarinwa was found guilty of exploiting two victims, luring them to the United States with false promises, and subjecting them to physical harm, threats, isolation, and psychological abuse to compel them to perform domestic labor and childcare services for her children.
Bolarinwa recruited two victims, confiscated their passports, and coerced them into working long hours with minimal pay. One victim was forced to work around-the-clock for nearly a year, while the other was subjected to physical abuse. The victims lived and worked in Bolarinwa's home from December 2015 to October 2016, when one of them notified a professor at her college, leading to the FBI's involvement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Karen M. Williams sentenced Bolarinwa to three years of supervised release, imposed a $35,000 fine, and ordered her to pay $87,518.72 in restitution to the victims. The court's decision sends a strong message that forced labor and human trafficking will not be tolerated in the US.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon emphasized the Justice Department's commitment to enforcing federal human trafficking statutes and holding traffickers accountable. U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey stated that the sentence vindicates the rights of the two vulnerable women who were subjected to coercive abuse. Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office urged anyone who notices suspicious situations to report them to help potential victims.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted as part of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey's Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed in 2025. The task force brings together federal and state agencies to combat human trafficking and prosecute offenders.
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