EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A New Bedford man and the cleaning company that employed him are facing criminal charges after an investigation revealed they allegedly forced two people to work against their will for little to no pay.
A statewide grand jury on Friday handed up an indictment charging Fernando Roland and Martins Maintenance Inc. with numerous counts of labor trafficking and wage theft, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Monday.
Roland, 60, is also accused of physically assaulting one of the victims on one occasion and threatening the other.
The AG’s Human Trafficking and Fair Labor Divisions launched an investigation after receiving a tip from Rhode Island officials, which culminated in a raid of the East Providence business in late March.
According to Healey’s office, the investigation revealed the two victims were allegedly forced to perform cleaning and maintenance at businesses in a number of Massachusetts communities, including New Bedford, Fall River and Dartmouth.
Investigators said Roland recruited a woman from abroad in April 2016 and soon had her working for Martins Maintenance more than 40 hours per week for several weeks, but she received no wages. After that, investigators said she was paid “well below minimum wage” and out of the cash she did receive, she was forced to pay Roland for housing and transportation.
The woman was never paid overtime or provided any benefits, according to the AG’s office. They also allege Roland made her cook and clean at his residence, where she had lived.
Roland also gained possession of the woman’s passport and reportedly threatened that if she tried to return to her home country, she would be arrested by immigration authorities, investigators said.
Roland is facing 12 counts each of trafficking of persons for forced service, willful failure to pay minimum wage, and willful failure to pay overtime, as well as one count of assault and battery and one count of assault. Healey’s office said the offenses occurred at various locations in Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable and Norfolk counties, and Roland will be arraigned at later dates in each Super Court.
Martins Maintenance Inc., 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. Prosecutors allege the company had knowledge of Roland’s alleged actions.
Roland’s live-in girlfriend, Lisa Matthews, 51, was also indicted on a single count of conspiracy to traffic persons for forced services.
Anyone believing that their workers’ rights have been violated are urged to contact Healey’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465. Click here to learn more.
