KC jury convicts Missouri businessman in human trafficking scheme
Jurors found Kristin Dougherty, 50, guilty of racketeering, conspiracy and wire fraud after the four-day trial.
Prosecutors accused Dougherty of running Anchor Building Services, a labor leasing firm that obtained some of its workers from a network of Kansas City-area subcontractors operated by a group of Uzbekistan nationals. With the workers, Anchor contracted to provide housekeeping services at hotels and resorts around the country.
The government accused the Uzbeks, who either pleaded guilty or fled the U.S. before the indictment was unsealed in May 2009, of coercing foreign workers to work for little or no pay while living in crowded and unsuitable housing.