A Mexican national residing illegally in Lexington, Serafin Bayona, 35, has been sentenced to 135 months by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove for financially benefiting from forced labor.
Bayona's plea agreement revealed his involvement in a scheme where he loaned money to Mexican nationals living in Mexico to facilitate their smuggling into the United States. Once they arrived, he coordinated their transportation to Lexington and housed them in properties he owned. The victims were required to repay Bayona with interest after finding work in the U.S., which led to an ongoing cycle of debt due to additional charges for rent, transportation, and other necessities. When victims resisted these fees, Bayona used threats of force against them and their families, including brandishing a firearm.
During searches of Bayona's properties, authorities found over $50,000 in cash linked to his forced labor activities. Under federal law, Bayona must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence before being released under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
The sentence was announced jointly by Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Acting Special Agent in Charge at the FBI Louisville Field Office; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations; and Chief Lawrence Weathers of the Lexington Police Department.
The investigation involved efforts from the FBI, HSI, and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.