Oregon Business Owners Plead Guilty To Human Trafficking Scheme

PORTLAND, OR — A Beaverton woman on Thursday pleaded guilty in a U.S. District Court to several charges related to forced labor and visa and income tax fraud.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon, Thunyarax Phatanakit Jumroon, 59, also called Tanya, formerly ran two restaurants in Lake Oswego and Ridgefield, Washington, where she and her former husband, Paul Jumroon, illegally employed Thai nationals by using fraudulent E-2 visas between 2011 and 2014.

“Human trafficking schemes are seldom carried out by a single person. Tanya Jumroon profited off of her then-husband’s actions while turning a blind eye,” Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, said in a statement. “In too many of these cases, we later learn that someone close by could have taken action to stop the abuse and intimidation of others and did not. I implore all Oregonians to remain vigilant and watch for the signs of human trafficking in their communities. Your attention and perceptiveness could help a victim in need.”

Federal officials said Paul and other associates used the illegal E-2 visas to entice four Thai nationals to come to the U.S. for work. But after the workers arrived, Paul used "inflated travel expenses, debt manipulation, threats of deportation, serious financial and reputational harm, verbal abuse, and control over identification documents, among other means, to compel them to work 12 hours a day, six to seven days a week, for minimal pay at the restaurants he co-owned and operated with (Tanya)."

Tanya was reportedly not only aware of this arrangement but she also benefitted from it.

"These victims believed the Jumroons were offering them a chance at a better life. When they arrived in the U.S., however, they faced false promises, forced labor and abuse," Oregon FBI Special Agent Renn Cannon said in a statement. "Victims such as these often live in the shadows and find it difficult to get the help they need. We are grateful for the community members who were able to bring this case to our attention so we could work together to bring an end to the physical, psychological and financial exploitation."

Paul previously plead guilty to similar charges in February.

Both Tanya and Paul are scheduled for sentencing in October. Both face upward of 20 years in prison.

Tanya will also be required as part of her plea agreement to repay the victims more than $130,000 in restitution and more than $120,000 to the IRS.

“The Justice Department remains committed to combatting human trafficking, holding those who choose to exploit vulnerable individuals accountable, punishing those who profit from these crimes, and securing restitution for exploited victims” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “Today’s guilty plea exemplifies the hard work of the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to honor that commitment.”

The restaurants in question have since been sold to new owners.

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