A Las Vegas man made his first appearance in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas on Thursday after being accused of forcing three people into “domestic servitude,” according to a news release.
Rafael Juan Mitjans, 50, was indicted by a federal grand jury this week on three counts of forced labor, three counts of unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of trafficking and forced labor, and three counts of false statements on immigration documents.
According to the release, Mitjans allegedly forced three people from Cuba into servitude beginning in September 2023 and ending on or about July 31, 2024.
Federal officials say Mitjans took the passports, immigration documents and identification documents that belonged to the three victims with the intent to “restrict the victims’ ability to move and travel” in order to keep them as his servants.
In an indictment dated March 12, the grand jury decided that Mitjans forced the victims to perform work and services under the threat of “serious harm and physical restraint.”
The indictment alleges that Mitjans falsely told U.S. immigration officials that he would provide the victims with $850 per month, along with a “room with a bed, a desk, a television, a laptop, clothing, shoes, hygiene products and three meals per day,” though he did not provide those resources.
A jury trial for Mitjans is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware in May. Mitjans faces up to 20 years in prison, according to the release.
Mitjans’ defense attorney, public defender Wendi Overmyer, declined to comment on Friday.
Steven Rose, the lead prosecutor in the case, did not immediately return a message.
The Department of Homeland Security, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Clark County School District Police Department, the Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, and the Diplomatic Security Service assisted in the investigation.
Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0399. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.
