Chester County man charged with human trafficking for allegedly forcing immigrant girls to work on mushroom farm

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The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General is charging a Chester County man with several felony counts of false imprisonment, human trafficking and involuntary servitude.

Attorney General Dave Sunday accused Ramiro Caal Jolomna, 36, of forcing two immigrant girls to work on a mushroom farm with little pay under the threat of deportation or punishment.

Jolomna, of New Garden Township, is being held at the Chester County Prison. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 3.

“Labor trafficking, while not as often in the headlines, is cruel and dehumanizing behavior that forces victims into a routine of helplessness and silence,” Sunday said in a release on Monday.

The Human Trafficking Section of the Office of Attorney General and the Pennsylvania State Police collaborated on the investigation. According to the Office of Attorney General, Jolomna charged two girls, ages 14 and 17, “debts” for bringing them into the U.S.

Prosecutors allege Jolomna forced the 14-year-old girl from Mexico to work 16-hour shifts every day of the week, clean his house — and made her sign her paycheck over to him.

The 17-year-old girl came from Guatemala in order to send money back home to help her sick father. The Office of Attorney General said Jolomna subjected her to similar conditions and took most of her wages for himself.

“This is a disturbing set of facts involving a man preying on vulnerable girls who wanted to make an honest living and help their families back home,” Sunday said.

Jolomna was arrested Sept. 18. His bail was set at $1 million.

“This arrest reflects the continued commitment between both agencies to dismantle criminal networks, safeguarding victims and upholding the rule of law throughout the commonwealth,” said Major Serell Ulrich, director of the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Former Attorney General Michelle Henry announced the launch of the office’s first human trafficking unit in 2024.