Brothers from Ukraine convicted in human-trafficking ring

A federal jury convicted two Ukrainian brothers Tuesday for their roles in a human-trafficking organization that lured its victims to the United States with promises of stable jobs, only to treat them like slaves and put them to work for little to no pay.

Mykhaylo Botsvynyuk, 46, and Yaroslav Botsvynyuk, 47, ensured their workers' continued labor with beatings, sexual assaults, and threats sent to family in Eastern Europe, prosecutors said.

The convictions, on charges of racketeering conspiracy and extortion, came three years after the pair's brothers Omelyan, 55, and Stepan, 41, were sentenced - life in prison for Omelyan and 20 years for Stepan - after convictions on similar charges.

A fifth brother, Dmytro, is a fugitive believed to be hiding in Ukraine, which has no extradition treaty with the United States.

Throughout the three-week trial, witnesses testified - often through Ukrainian translators - that the brothers had recruited them from Ukraine with promises of legal immigration to the United States, a $500-a-month job, and free room and board.

Instead, many said, they were flown from Germany and Poland to Mexico with tourist visas and were later coached on how to cross the border by appearing to be Americans.

Once the victims were here, the brothers sent them to the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia and put them to work cleaning private homes, office buildings, and businesses such as Walmart, Target, and other big-box stores. Prosecutors have said those retail chains were likely unaware of the status of the workers.

Workers said they slept on dirty mattresses, often five to a room, while being told they had to continue working to pay off their smuggling debts. Attempts at escape were met with violent retribution.

In one case, one of the brothers' victims said they threatened to place her children - who were still in Ukraine - into prostitution to work off the money she owed.

In closing statements Monday, lawyers for the brothers argued that several witnesses might have lied about the conditions they endured in hopes of obtaining visas available to victims of human trafficking.

Mykhaylo and Yaroslav Botsvynyuk will face sentencing later this year.