Life Cycle of a Labor Trafficking Case

Nazmia Comrie; Terence “Terry” Coonan, JD; Luis C.deBaca, JD; Florrie Burke; Evelyn Chumbow & Megan Bruneau Zentner | September 25 | 3:00-4:00 PM

Topic: Legal, Law Enforcement | Knowledge Level: Intermediate

When investigating labor trafficking cases, investigators must consider a series of steps involved in building a labor trafficking case that includes victim recruitment, case discovery and management, case prosecution, and the resulting response from victim services providers. Investigators will benefit from expert knowledge that demonstrates a holistic approach to investigating a labor trafficking case. This presentation will identify several processes involved in a labor trafficking investigation. Topics to be explored will include common vulnerabilities of trafficking victims who are exploited in their recruitment or forced entry by traffickers; identification of common labor trafficking worksites, discovery methods, and investigative strategies; and the use of multidisciplinary teams to manage and prosecute labor trafficking cases while also providing services to victims. This presentation is designed to improve the awareness, responsiveness, and accountability among law enforcement, businesses, communities, and other stakeholders on labor trafficking.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of labor trafficking, common indicators, and victim vulnerabilities

· Provide strategies to identify common labor trafficking worksites, discovery methods, and investigative approaches

· Discuss the use of multidisciplinary teams to manage and prosecute labor trafficking cases

· Discuss innovative investigative strategies to aid in the successful investigation and prosecution of labor trafficking cases

About the Presenters

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Nazmia Comrie

Nazmia Comrie is the senior program specialist at the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Nazmia provides leadership on the development, implementation, and delivery of technical assistance as the program manager for the Collaborative Reform Initiative, and manages projects related to human trafficking, hate crimes, officer safety, and community policing.

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Terence “Terry” Coonan, JD

Terence “Terry” Coonan is a professor of law and criminology at Florida State University (FSU) and the founding executive director of FSU’s Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, which has led work nationwide on human trafficking issues. Terry consults on human trafficking with the U.S. Department of Justice, law enforcement officials, and service providers nationwide.

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Luis C.deBaca, JD

Luis C.deBaca is a former diplomat and prosecutor who served as ambassador at large to monitor and combat trafficking in persons for U.S. State Department. He served as director of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Sex Offender Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Luis has prosecuted many cases of labor/sex trafficking involving hundreds of victims.

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Florrie Burke

Florrie Burke is a consultant on human trafficking with two decades of specialized experience. Florrie is a leading expert on the victim-centered approach in trafficking cases and collaborative efforts of criminal justice actors and victim care providers. Florrie is a founder of Freedom Network USA, and has done extensive training and speaking on numerous human trafficking issues.

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Evelyn Chumbow

Evelyn Chumbow is a survivor of domestic servitude and an advocate with the Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking. She was awarded the Presbyterian Peaceseeker Award for efforts to combat human trafficking. Evelyn has served as a presidential appointee to the U.S. Human Trafficking Survivor Advisory Council and presented nationally on the needs of labor trafficking victims.

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Megan Bruneau Zentner

Megan Bruneau Zentner is a detective with the Seattle Police Department assigned to the Criminal Intelligence Unit and task force officer (Homeland Security Investigations) focused exclusively on labor trafficking of foreign nationals and other human trafficking-related crimes. She is a core team member of the Washington Advisory Committee on Trafficking with extensive consultation and presentation experience.

2020Anna SchrammSeptember 25, 2020Nazmia Comrie; Terence “Terry” Coonan; Luis C.deBaca; et. al.25:3:00