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Kil Soo Lee was convicted more than two years ago of conspiracy, extortion, money laundering and 11 counts of involuntary servitude at Daewoosa Samoa. The factory made clothes for JC Penny and other retailers before it was closed.
In the biggest human-trafficking case in US history
two garment workers had scaled the factory compound's fence to tell the world what was happening. They were looking for help, but later disappeared. American Samoa police classified the women's disappearance as drowning accidents.
Because the clothes were made on American territory they got the prized "Made in America" label but no American Union workers were employed.
produce clothes for JC Penny. In addition to JC Penney (Arizona label), before it was closed the factory made clothes for Wal-Mart (Beach Cabana label), Target (Pro Spirit label), Sears (David Taylor), David Peyser Sportswear (MV Sport) and other retailers.
250 skilled garment workers from Vietnam and China, mostly young women, enticing them with promises of a steady job that could help support their children and families back home
When the employees arrived, he placed them on grueling schedules in horrid conditions and paid them next to nothing. Then, he kept the workers in line through threats, beatings, starvation, false arrests, sexual assaults, debt repayment schemes, deportation, and other tactics -- all enforced by security guards in a gated compound
In November 2000, Lee ordered his guards to beat or kill any workers who weren't producing clothes fast enough.
The workers were cheated of their wages, beaten, starved, sexually harassed, and threatened with deportation if they complained