The defendants, husband and wife Fermin Pedro Ramos-Ramos, and Laurie Ann Ramos, held a young woman in a state of involuntary servitude in their Detroit area home. The victim was forced to work, without pay, as a housekeeper. The defendants recruited and transported the victim from Mexico. Fermin Pedro Ramos-Ramos and his wife used threats and physical violence for control over the victim, they also confiscated the victims’ identity documents, and told her that the police would arrest her if she was found.
1st Instance:
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, October 24, 2007
1st Instance (Civil Court):
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, 2007
The Defendant withheld adequate wages from his employee for the period between January 2004 and September 2004. He was ordered to pay back wages in the amount of $26,821.20.
The defendants were charged with human trafficking related crimes, including forced labor, and harboring an illegal alien. The defendant Fermin Pedro Ramos-Ramos was also indicted for aggravated sexual abuse. In June 2007, Fermin Pedro Ramos-Ramos pleaded guilty to harboring and transporting an illegal alien, and was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, to be followed by deportation.
The defendants were charged with human trafficking related crimes, including forced labor and harboring an illegal alien. Laurie Ann Ramos pleaded guilty to harboring an illegal alien and was sentenced to a year of probation.
United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
https://www.law.umich.edu/clinical/HuTrafficCases/Pages/CaseDisp.aspx?caseID=99
http://mi.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20070531_0000577.WMI.htm/qx
http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2007/10/couple_sentenced_for_harboring.html
Compensation of $26,821 in back wages and liquidated damages was ordered in a separate ruling.