Moorestown Woman Sentenced for Forcing Immigrant Victims into Domestic Servitude
Bolaji Bolarinwa received nearly four years in federal prison after coercing victims into domestic servitude under threats, surveillance, and abuse.
A Moorestown resident has been sentenced to 45 months in federal prison following her conviction on multiple counts related to a forced labor scheme involving two women whom she coerced into domestic servitude and childcare under threat and abuse.
Bolaji Bolarinwa, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court after being found guilty of two counts of forced labor, one count of alien harboring for financial gain, and two counts of document servitude. The sentencing follows a two-week trial that concluded with the jury finding that Bolarinwa knowingly exploited the victims between December 2015 and October 2016.
“This sentence vindicates the rights of two vulnerable women who the defendant subjected to grueling hours and coercive abuse in her home. Forced labor and human trafficking are atrocious crimes that have no place in our society. My office and the entire Department of Justice is committed to standing up for vulnerable human trafficking victims and holding their traffickers accountable.” - U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
Federal prosecutors stated that Bolarinwa, originally from Nigeria and now a U.S. citizen, orchestrated a scheme in which she brought two women to the United States and subjected them to round-the-clock labor in her home. The first victim arrived in December 2015 and was immediately stripped of her passport. Over the following months, she was compelled to work daily without rest under threats of harm to herself and her daughter, as well as through verbal abuse and isolation.
In April 2016, Bolarinwa recruited a second victim, who entered the U.S. on a student visa. Her passport was also confiscated, and she was subjected to physical abuse as a primary means of coercion. Both victims were kept under constant surveillance and psychological pressure until October 2016, when the second victim disclosed the situation to a college professor. This led to an FBI investigation and eventual charges.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams ordered Bolarinwa to serve three years of supervised release, imposed a $35,000 fine, and mandated restitution payments totaling $87,518.72 to the victims.
“Human nature is generally good. There are situations though, that prove some people display more cruel and inhumane behavior,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office. “Bolarinwa lured women with false promises, held them captive, and forced them clean her home and care for her children. Then took it a sickening step further by physically abusing them. Luckily, one of the victims had the courage to tell someone. We ask anyone who notices an odd situation, something that doesn't look or feel right, to please call us so we can help victims that may be hiding in plain sight.”
The case was prosecuted jointly by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. The FBI’s Newark office, under Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, led the investigation.
The prosecution was carried out under the auspices of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Task Force. Launched in 2025, the Task Force coordinates federal and state efforts to investigate and prosecute human trafficking offenses. Its members include agencies such as the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Labor, and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, among others.
This case highlights ongoing federal efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute forced labor and human trafficking cases occurring within the United States.