Authorities Find Man Wanted for Smuggling Women Into the US

The man behind a group that was smuggling women into the US to work as exotic dancers was finally taken down by law enforcement last Thursday. Police had suspected Veniamin Gonikman, 55, as being the mastermind behind the group that was bringing women to Metro Detroit to work against their will. He was finally detained at John F. Kennedy International Airport by agents of Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to reports, Gonikman is a US citizen that fled the country after he was indicted in 2005 and lived illegally in Ukraine.  He was finally apprehended by Ukrainian authorities on Wednesday and deported back to the US by Homeland Security Agents in Germany.

ICE Director John Morton said, "Victims in forced labor cases are particularly vulnerable targets who are lures with promises of employment and stable lives and then end up in abusive and deplorable situations."

Now, Gonikman faces a maximum of 20 years imprisonment.

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