Camden, New Jersey – A Nigerian-born U.S. citizen residing in New Jersey, Bolaj Bolarinwa, has been sentenced to 45 months in federal prison for orchestrating a coercive forced labor scheme involving two women she brought into the United States to work in her home under abusive conditions.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the sentencing on Friday, May 9, 2025, following Bolarinwa’s conviction on multiple charges, including two counts of forced labor, alien harboring for financial gain, and two counts of document servitude.
Bolarinwa, 51, of Moorestown, was found guilty after a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams, who also imposed three years of supervised release, a $35,000 fine, and $87,518.72 in restitution to the victims.
Exploitation and Abuse
According to court documents and trial evidence, Bolarinwa recruited two women from Nigeria between December 2015 and October 2016 and subjected them to forced domestic labor and childcare in her home.
Once in the U.S., Bolarinwa confiscated the victims’ passports, isolated them, subjected them to constant surveillance, and threatened them with physical harm — including threats against the family of one victim.
The first victim, brought to the U.S. in December 2015, was coerced into working around-the-clock for nearly a year, with no freedom of movement and under continual verbal and psychological abuse. The second victim, who arrived on a student visa in April 2016, was physically assaulted and similarly exploited until she managed to inform a college professor, who then alerted the FBI.
Both women were held in Bolarinwa’s home until October 2016, when federal authorities intervened.
Federal Response
Officials condemned the case as a stark example of human trafficking and exploitation.
“The defendant exploited her relationship with the victims to lure them to the United States with false promises,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “She subjected them to threats, physical force, and mental abuse to coerce them to work long hours for minimal pay.”
“Today’s sentence vindicates the rights of two vulnerable women,” said U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey. “Forced labor and human trafficking are atrocious crimes that have no place in our society.”
“Bolarinwa lured women with false promises, held them captive, and physically abused them,” added Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office. “This case is a reminder that human trafficking can happen anywhere, even in plain sight.”
Ongoing Efforts
The case was prosecuted under the auspices of the District of New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Task Force, established in 2025. The task force comprises multiple federal and state agencies, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, IRS, and the New Jersey Office of Attorney General, aimed at combating trafficking and supporting survivors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit led the prosecution.
Anyone who suspects human trafficking is encouraged to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text “HELP” to 233733 (BEFREE).
