BOSTON — A Massachusetts grand jury cited an East Providence business and one of its employees on charges of labor trafficking, assault, and wage theft, the state’s Attorney General’s office …
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BOSTON — A Massachusetts grand jury cited an East Providence business and one of its employees on charges of labor trafficking, assault, and wage theft, the state’s Attorney General’s office reported out Monday, May 8.
According to published reports, Martins Maintenance Inc., a cleaning company located on Waterman Avenue in city, was indicted on seven counts of trafficking of persons for forced service; nine counts of failure to pay minimum wage; and eight counts of failure to pay overtime.
The incidents occurred in a number of businesses located in southeastern Massachusetts.
An employee of the business, Fernando Roland, 60 and of New Bedford, was indicted on 12 counts of trafficking of persons for forced service; assault and battery; assault; 12 counts of willful failure to pay minimum wage; and 12 counts of willful failure to pay overtime,
A second person, Lisa Matthews, 51 and also of New Bedford, was also indicted on one count of conspiracy to traffic persons for forced services. The AG’s office noted Ms. Matthews is the live-in girlfriend of Mr. Roland.
In the indictment, Mr. Roland is alleged to have recruited a woman from abroad in 2016. He later led her to a number of Martin Maintenance clients and ordered her to clean the locations.
The victim is alleged to have worked more than 40 hours a week and was not paid any wages for the work she completed during her first few weeks of employ. She was eventually compensated at a level well below minimum wage, according to the AG’s office. The woman was then required to return money Mr. Roland and Ms. Matthews in the form of rent and pay for transit to work by the pair.
A raid of the Martins Maintenance location on Waterman Avenue was conducted on March 28 of this year. Investigators executed a search warrant and removed various items associated with the alleged incident.