The lawyer for a man accused of human trafficking is claiming victory following a guilty plea on immigration-related offences Tuesday.
Kevin Kielty, who had been accused of human trafficking, pleaded guilty Tuesday in a Barrie courtroom to offences under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in relation to an alleged human-trafficking operation in Simcoe County in 2019.
Kielty, along with his wife, Patricia Zuniga-Rojas, and her two grown daughters, Patricia (Patty) Camacho Zuniga and Ashley Camacho Zuniga, had initially faced charges of trafficking in persons, receiving a benefit from human trafficking, participation in the activities of a criminal organization, and possession of property obtained by crime.
“He was sentenced to an 18-month conditional sentence and restitution was ordered for four illegal workers that were owed money,” an official with the local Crown attorney’s office told BradfordToday and InnisfilToday on Wednesday.
“Both my client and I consider this result a victory,” said Carson Hurley, Kielty’s defence attorney. “Although Mr. Kielty ultimately admitted and pleaded guilty to the regulatory offences, all of the criminal charges were stayed.”
Hurley said a nine-month term of house arrest is part of his client’s conditional sentence.
The defence lawyer also noted Kielty was initially facing 27 criminal charges, including human trafficking and participation in a criminal organization.
“Mr. Kielty is not guilty of any criminal offences and did not mistreat any of the people that he employed,” Hurley said. “The criminal charges never should have been laid.”
Peter Thorning, the lawyer representing Zuniga-Rojas, said his client is relieved this matter has concluded.
“She did not plead guilty. All my client’s charges were withdrawn,” he said.
Court heard Zuniga-Rojas, a Mexican citizen, and Kielty, a Canadian citizen, married in 2004 and lived in Mexico for 10 years before coming to Canada with her daughters from another marriage and starting a local cleaning company, RTL Services of Barrie.
The couple had moved to Barrie in 2015 and were last known to be living in a rented condominium in Etobicoke.
They had been accused of exploiting Mexican immigrants by enticing them to come to Barrie on the promise of securing work and learning English.
The case had previously been described as "modern-day slavery."
The workers claimed they were made to clean and do janitorial work for little pay and lodged in substandard, overcrowded accommodation. The workers said at the time that their objections were met with threats of deportation.
