WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — The owner of Magnolia Cleaning Services pleaded guilty to federal fraud and human trafficking charges.
George William Evans, 68, entered a guilty plea Tuesday. Three other suspects in the case pleaded not guilty in December.
All four defendants were arrested by U.S. Marshals in December on charges of money laundering, forced labor, and other immigration-related offenses at Magnolia Cleaning Services, LLC in Williamsburg.
A33-count indictment alleges 47-year-old Ana Landaverde, 64-year-old Jeffrey Vaughan and 68-year-old George Evans engaged in a conspiracy to harbor, transport and benefit from employing undocumented noncitizens at Northstar Holdings of Virginia LLC, which did business under Magnolia Cleaning Services, LLC. A fourth defendant, who has several aliases including "Rodrigo Sis Reyes," is alleged to have acted as an illegal supplier of fraudulent identification documents for the immigrants, such as permanent resident cards and social security cards.
Records show that between the first quarter of 2018 and the first quarter of 2022, the business had around 121 employees with alleged invalid or mismatched social security numbers and wage payments of more than $1.2 million to these employees.
The indictment alleged Evans and two others engaged in the human trafficking of labor from Central America and benefitted from forced labor.
One of the victims alleged that the suspects brought her to the United States when she was 13 years old and was forced to work during the night after going to school throughout the day. Another victim alleged that the suspects made them work under threats such as deportation or physical violence, as well as made the victim pay rent to live in the laundry facility.
Evans agreed to pay more than $3.9 million to the U.S. His sentencing is set for June, and he faces between 5 to 10 years in prison.
