HONOLULU — Trial began this week for an Oahu man accused of smuggling Tongan nationals into the United States and forcing them to work for his landscaping business. Federal prosecutors are describing the case against Lueleni Fetongi Maka, 52, of
HONOLULU — Trial began this week for an Oahu man accused of smuggling Tongan nationals into the United States and forcing them to work for his landscaping business.
Federal prosecutors are describing the case against Lueleni Fetongi Maka, 52, of Waipahu, as a case of “modern day slavery.”
Maka is charged with six counts each of human trafficking, involuntary servitude, forced labor, alien harboring and alien smuggling. Maka is a Tongan citizen who lives in the United States as a permanent resident.
He’s accused of recruiting seven young men from Tonga between May 2001 and January 2003 to work for him on O‘ahu and forcing them to work for little pay and live in squalid conditions on a pig farm Maka operated in Nanakuli.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Shipley said the illegal laborers worked daily from sunup to sundown, building rock walls and trimming trees sometimes as late as 9 p.m.
They were paid between $100 to $200 a week, or sometimes not at all if Maka did not feel they worked hard enough, Shipley said. The workers, six of whom will testify during the trial, said they were beaten often.
Assistant federal defender William Domingo said his client was not the perfect boss, and the living conditions weren’t that great, but the workers stayed because they chose to stay and work under those conditions.
Domingo said the men were willing to come to Hawaii so they could send money home to Tonga, and they will benefit by accusing Maka of mistreatment because they will be able to bring their families here after three years.
