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March 9, 2010
Immokalee man charged with smuggling girl into country, forcing her to
work
By ELYSA BATISTA
An Immokalee man, who federal prosecutors say had someone smuggle a girl
over the border and then forced her to work as a farmworker, was
arraigned Monday.
Francisco F. Domingo, 46, of the 500 block of
Issued by the grand jury in May 2009 but sealed and not entered until
Thursday, the indictment described how in Spring 2008 Domingo got help
smuggling the girl into the
The girl, a minor from
However, an affidavit submitted by FBI Special Agent Kevin McCormick, as
part of a material witness warrant for one of Domingo’s accomplices,
described how Domingo sent the man — identified as Wilson Rigoberto
Francisco Miguel — to pick up the girl from
The girl briefly got away, but soon was tracked down by Francisco
Miguel, who also owed Domingo smuggling fees.
Once the girl was in the country, the affidavit said she lived with
Domingo, his wife Magdalena Tomas, his three children, two
grandchildren, and Francisco Miguel and his wife.
In addition, the indictment said Domingo would take her to work in
various agricultural fields throughout
The affidavit went further, stating that a joint investigation by the
Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI found that Domingo also
forced the girl to pose for sexually explicit photographs and videos
filmed at an associate’s home.
Domingo, a native of
At his arraignment Monday, records showed Domingo pleaded not guilty.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Polster Chappell found that Domingo was a
flight risk and ordered that he remain detained pending further
proceedings.
Domingo is scheduled to go before U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards
Honeywell on April 13 for a status conference and for trial on May 3.
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