A pest control business arrived to a home in Princeton, Texas, to treat bedbugs. The technician told authorities that when he arrived to the home, a young man walked him around the house.
The technician added that he observed three to five women in each bedroom, sleeping on the floor. He also saw numerous amounts of suitcases and only air mattresses in the open part of the residence.
After receiving the reports of suspicious behavior, Princeton police discovered 15 women residing in the home, all ages 23 to 26.
Santhosh Katkoori, Dwaraka Gunda, Chandon Dasireddy, and Anil Male were identified as the suspects. They were apprehended on charges of human trafficking in relation to the investigation.
While questioning the women, authorities learned that the women believed that they were part of internships to learn Java scripting or computer programming.
Documents show that the women would apply for jobs, and once they were hired, their earnings would be paid to a company managed by Katkoori and Gunda that would obtain a 20% cut.
“It’s very new to us, so we’re working through it,” stated Lt. Jesus Rodriguez.
The Princeton Police Department has never dealt with a case like this and is receiving assistance from the Department of Homeland Security. They are reviewing laptops, phones, and false documents that were taken from the residence.
Authorities think that what they discovered is a component of a bigger operation with 100 or more possible victims.
The courts will now have to decide what will happen with the victims.
The suspects are now out on bond.
Katkoori has asked permission to leave the country on business pending his trial, and he is set to appear in court in mid-July.
