18 U.S.C. § 1589 – Forced Labor
§ 1589 makes it a federal crime to obtain or provide labor or services through force, threats, coercion, or abuse of legal process.
This statute targets coercive labor practices in which a person is compelled to work or provide services against their will.
It applies both to individuals who directly obtain labor or services through prohibited means and to those who knowingly benefit from participation in a venture engaged in forced labor.
What the law prohibits.
A person violates this statute if they knowingly:
- Provide or obtain the labor or services of another person by force, threats of force, physical restraint, or threats of physical restraint
- Provide or obtain the labor or services of another person by means of serious harm or threats of serious harm to that person or another person
- Provide or obtain the labor or services of another person by means of the abuse or threatened abuse of law or legal process
- Provide or obtain the labor or services of another person through a scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause the person to believe that failure to perform would result in serious harm or physical restraint
- Knowingly benefit, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture that provides or obtains labor or services through any of the prohibited means, knowing or in reckless disregard of that conduct
Penalties.
A person convicted under this statute shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
If death results from the violation, or if the violation includes kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, the penalty shall be a fine under this title or imprisonment for any term of years or for life, or both.
If you’re being investigated or charged under a federal forced labor statute, call (314) 900-HELP or contact our criminal defense attorneys to discuss your options.
