Editor’s Note — As part of our countdown to 2025, WYDaily is revisiting its most-read and favorite stories of the year. Reporter Stephanie Sabin said while stories like this are difficult to research and write, she thinks it is important that the community understands what and why something of this nature is happening. When out reporting, she mostly gets to hear the positive and wonderful things happening in our community — and while we do have so many amazing and good things in the Historic Triangle — we often turn a blind eye to things that make us uncomfortable or we are uneducated on. In her role as a journalist, she feels it is important to share all sides of our community and hopefully, when she does, it makes us better.
HISTORIC TRIANGLE — Should citizens in the Historic Triangle be concerned about human trafficking?
In December 2022, two Williamsburg residents were indicted on labor trafficking charges defined as “engaged in a conspiracy to harbor, transport, and benefit from the employment of undocumented noncitizens” at their commercial laundry business, Magnolia Cleaning Services in Williamsburg.
Bad things are not supposed to happen in your own “backyard,” but many fear it could happen to those they love. Others may have the impression that human trafficking is either a plot twist to a movie or a political hot topic being used to create controversy. The federal case against these local business owners, however, proves otherwise.
What is human trafficking?
The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services defines human trafficking as “a criminal activity in which people profit from the control and exploitation of others. Two forms of human trafficking are sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Human trafficking can occur anywhere, within and across U.S. borders, victimizing both U.S. citizens and non-citizens, both children and adults and across all gender identities.”
Magnolia Cleaning Service was found guilty of harboring more than 100 illegal El Salvadorian citizens. According to court documents, one defendant, Ana Patricia Landaverde, forced people to work against their will, threatened to have the family members of her employees killed and physically assaulted employees who disobeyed her orders.
Legislators take action
The new bill will allow Virginia attorneys to bring labor trafficking cases to trial on their own, as opposed to the current process where cases must be referred to federal prosecutors. It also extends civil action for trafficking in persons from seven years to 10 years.
Gabriel Mahoney with the University of Virginia School of Law’s State and Local Government Policy Clinic stated to the Virginia Mercury that “federal prosecutors may or may not prosecute a case based on their available resources and typically take longer to bring a case to trial.”
Cherry’s bill would “give local prosecutors the tools they need to bring labor traffickers to justice,” Mahoney continued. “It’ll help victims of labor trafficking by promoting swifter prosecution and public awareness and deter potential trafficking activity in the commonwealth.”
All have a role in tackling human trafficking
Those prosecuted in the Williamsburg case were identified through tips and a lengthy investigation led by the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force.
“Human trafficking is a unique crime, and one that is often hard to identify, investigate, and prosecute. Human trafficking activities often occur in conjunction with other crimes, which may mask the trafficking components of the activities. Victims of human trafficking may be unwilling or afraid to cooperate with first responders, law enforcement, and victim advocates. Language and cultural barriers can hinder even voluntary communication with trafficking victims,” states the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services webpage.
To report human trafficking, many sources are available through the Virginia State Police or the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
