CARTERSVILLE, Ga. — Federal agents concluded a months-long investigation Wednesday regarding undocumented foreign nationals working in unsuitable conditions at a manufacturing plant.
Action News Jax’s Atlanta station WSB-TV is now reporting that the owner of that plant - Wellmade Industries in Bartow County - is in jail.
Agents raided the facility Wednesday in a massive operation with Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, GBI and Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, according to an FBI social media post.
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WSB’s Tom Jones was the first TV reporter at the scene. He asked Homeland Security what brought so many agents there.
“This search warrant today was in relation to labor trafficking and financial crimes,” Lindsay Williams with Homeland Security said.
That search warrant at Wellmade Industries led to the arrest of its owner, 59-year-old Zhu “George” Chen.
Homeland Security investigators said a months-long investigation found he was bringing in workers from other countries and forcing them to work at his flooring company.
“Improper pay and treatment of workers,” Williams said.
The FBI said it was there in a supportive role but said the infractions at the facility were serious.
“Labor trafficking. Bringing in undocumented people to do work. Usually for lower wages,” said Brian Ozden, Assistant Special Agent-In-Charge in Atlanta.
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Law enforcement said some 300 and 400 foreign nationals who work there are victims.
“These folks today are primarily from China, but there are some other countries involved as well,” Williams said.
The FBI said arrangements are being made to get them housing for now.
“We’ve identified a number of victim witnesses. We’ve brought in 20 linguists from across the country to help interview and then process those through the investigation,” Ozden said.
Seven houses nearby were also searched. Law enforcement said that’s where some of the workers lived in harsh conditions.
Ozden said labor trafficking is a huge problem not just here but around the country.
“And we work diligently in the FBI with our partners to try to mitigate it,” Ozden said.
Chen faces three counts of trafficking of persons for labor or sexual servitude. Those are felonies.
He is currently being held at the Bartow County Jail.
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