Mother & daughter in Oregon indicted for holding Haitian nationals, one a minor in 'indentured servitude'

TIGARD, OR - Marie Gertrude Jean Valmont, 66, and Yolandita Marie Andre, 30, a mother and daughter who own and operated Velida’s Care Home in Tigard, Oregon, were indicted Friday on charges they held three Haitian nationals- including one 16-year-old girl- in a form of indentured servitude working at the adult foster care home.

Reports from OregonLive show that Valmont and Andre required the three to sleep on a floor and threatened the three with deportation if they reported the conditions. The outlet reported that Velida’s Care Home was contracted by The Oregon Department of Human Services and paid $191,506.97 to house and care for residents in 2023.

According to a press release from The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon, the human trafficking scheme began in 2023 when the pair convinced the three victims to travel from Haiti to the U.S. and work at the home. When they arrived, Valmont reportedly threatened that “they would be deported, killed and cursed,” the prosecutor said per OregonLive.

The DOJ explained, "In early September 2023, all three victims arrived in Portland and were immediately taken to Velida’s where they were forced to work long, difficult hours for little or no pay. Valmont and Andre are also alleged to have taken their victims’ immigration paperwork and forbade them from leaving Velida’s under any circumstances. Valmont is further alleged to have thrown items at the victims, threatened to send them back to Haiti and have them killed, and threatened to call the police and make false theft allegations against them."

By Summer 2023, the child was able to disclose her indentured servitude to a pediatrician who reported the situation to the authorities. The girl was later removed from the home and placed in a foster program.

Valmont and Andre were arrested by the FBI with assistance from the Tigard Police Department on Thursday. According to The U.S. Attorney's Office Eliza Carmen-Rodriguez, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon will be prosecuting the case.
 

Two black Portland women have been federally indicted for allegedly enslaving three Haitians at a care home they owned and operated.

The mother and daughter suspects were charged with conspiring with one another to commit forced labor, committing forced labor and benefitting… pic.twitter.com/33l5Q6EnrQ

— Andy Ngo 🏳️‍🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) September 28, 2024

The Post Millennial's Andy Ngo reported, "The mother and daughter suspects were charged with conspiring with one another to commit forced labor, committing forced labor and benefitting from forced labor." He added that Valmont previously sued a Portland non-profit organization for $250k in 2021 alleging racial discrimination after her employment was terminated.

Attorneys for the mother and daughter vehemently denied the charges and stated the Haitians were relatives of theirs. They allegedly sponsored them coming to the U.S. under what Valmont called the “Uncle Biden Plan,” when they demanded money and a car without working for them. Oregon Federal Public Defender Fidel Cassino-DuCloux who represents Valmont said the Haitians attempted to "strong-arm" her into giving them money.