Ukrainian Wanted for Human Trafficking

Wanted by the ICE for Human Trafficking

May 29, 2009

EU NEWS -- Veniamin Yakovlevich Gonikman, is most wanted for human trafficking. Gonikman, a Ukrainian naturalized United States citizen, was indicted on March 9, 2006, for conspiring to force Eastern European women to work as strippers in Metro-Detroit area exotic dance clubs. Furthermore, it is alleged Gonikman, was a partner in a human trafficking operation that utilized their corporation, Beauty Search Inc., to smuggle women into the United States, which then forced the women through threats and coercion to work as strippers in a condition of involuntary servitude.

Veniamin Yakovlevich Gonikman, was charged with twenty counts of involuntary servitude, immigration and money laundering conspiracies, including counts of forced labor, human trafficking, and document servitude.

Veniamin Yakovlevich Gonikman

The human trafficking operation was uncovered when two of the Eastern European women escaped captivity and told police of their conditions of involuntary servitude. It was further alleged that Gonikman's son, Aleksandr Maksimenko, who was named in an earlier indictment along with eight others, were responsible for smuggling the women into the United States. Additionally, to maintain the women's compliance and create a condition of captivity, the human traffickers confiscated passports, imposed large debts and monetary penalties on the exotic dancers, enforced rules to isolate the women from potential rescuers, physically assaulted and threatened them, conducted apartment searches, and threatened to turn the dancers over to authorities because of their illegal immigrant status. Maksimenko, also allegedly forced the dancers to engage in sexual relations with him, by intimidating and threatening them with arrest and deportation while reminding them that they owed him a debt for employing them.

In February 2004, after the escape of one of the dancers, Maksimenko paid Jado to set fire to a car owned by the woman's sister in retaliation for her escape. The crime was perpetrated to also send a message to the other dancers not to escape or fail to repay their debt. Maksimenko, was eventually convicted for his part in the conspiracy and agreed to roll over and cooperate with the U.S. Department of Justice investigation and prosecution of the human trafficking operation's partners including his father, Gonikman, who is still at-large.

Veniamin Yakovlevich Gonikman is described as:

• Birth Date: September 6, 1955
• POB: Kiev, Ukraine
• Age: 53
• Height: 59"
• Weight: 185 pounds
• Eyes: Green
• Hair: Brown
• Complexion: Medium
• Sex: Male
• Race: White

If you have information about the whereabouts Veniamin Yakovlevich Gonikman, a most wanted fugitive for human trafficking, do not attempt to apprehend him yourself! Instead immediately contact your local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office or call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.

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