A Moorestown resident has been sentenced to 45 months in federal prison after being convicted on various counts related to a forced labor scheme involving two women whom she persuaded into domestic servitude and childcare through threats and abuse.
Bolaji Bolarinwa, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court after being convicted on two charges of forced labor, one of alien harboring for financial benefit, and two counts of peonage. The sentencing follows a two-week trial in which the jury determined that Bolarinwa knowingly exploited the victims between December 2015 and October 2016.
“This sentence vindicates the rights of two vulnerable women who the defendant subjected to grueling hours and coercive abuse in her home. Forced labor and human trafficking are atrocious crimes that have no place in our society. My office and the entire Department of Justice is committed to standing up for vulnerable human trafficking victims and holding their traffickers accountable.” –
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
Bolarinwa recruited a second victim in April 2016, who arrived in the United States on a student visa. Additionally, Bolarinwa confiscated her passport and subjected her to physical assault as a major control measure. Bolarinwa subjected both victims to regular surveillance and psychological pressure until October 2016, when the second victim revealed the situation to a college professor. The revelation resulted in an FBI investigation and subsequent charges.
In addition to the jail term, Judge Williams ordered Bolarinwa to serve three years of supervised release, a $35,000 fine, and $87,518.72 in restitution payments to the victims.
“Human nature is generally good. There are situations though, that prove some people display more cruel and inhumane behavior,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office. “Bolarinwa lured women with false promises, held them captive, and forced them clean her home and care for her children. Then took it a sickening step further by physically abusing them. Luckily, one of the victims had the courage to tell someone. We ask anyone who notices an odd situation, something that doesn’t look or feel right, to please call us so we can help victims that may be hiding in plain sight.”
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Bender and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case jointly. The investigation was led by the FBI’s Newark office, with Terence G. Reilly serving as acting special agent in charge.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Task Force oversaw the prosecution. The Task Force, established in 2025, integrates federal and state efforts to investigate and prosecute human trafficking charges. Its members include the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Labor, and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, among others.
This case shows ongoing government efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute forced labor and human trafficking instances in the United States.
