Vashon landscaping business owner sentenced to 20 years in human trafficking case | Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

Jesus Ruiz-Hernandez was sentenced to 20 years in prison on April 30, following his conviction this year for a scheme to bring undocumented immigrants to Vashon Island and exploit their uncertain legal status to underpay them at his business Brothers Landscaping.

Ruiz-Hernandez has appealed his conviction and sentence to the U.S. Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit, according to court documents.

According to a statement from prosecutors, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said during sentencing that, after observing Ruiz-Hernandez through the trial, he saw “a complete lack of respect for the truth.”

Ruiz-Hernandez “lived a lie” for years on Vashon, U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman said in a prepared statement to the media: “His business model was premised on enticing vulnerable persons from Mexico to come to the United States to work for his company – and then exploiting them by forcing them to work for him for little to no money while using their debts and immigration status to keep them tethered to him as his source of cheap labor.”

Prosecutors asked for more than 24 years in prison for Ruiz, noting that the criminal activity lasted more than seven years and likely involved more people than just the seven victims named in charges and at trial. He treated his employees as “indentured servants,” prosecutors said.

The defense asked for a sentence in the range of 27 to 57 months, or a little over a year to a little under five years.

A letter to the court requesting clemency from Ruiz-Hernandez’ mother describes Ruiz-Hernandez as a hardworking and humble man who came to the U.S. with the goal of advancing himself and his family. But those who he once called friends “have betrayed and lied about him” out of envy, she wrote. She said there was more evidence that could exonerate Ruiz-Hernandez beyond what his attorney had presented.

Ruiz-Hernandez will spend three years on supervised release after his release from prison.