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FROM THE DEFENSE DESK / NEW YORK PENAL LAW
5 AUG 2026 · UPDATED 20 AUG 2026 · 1 MIN READ · BY TODD A. SPODEK
THE BRIEF · FILED UNDER: NEW YORK PENAL LAW
DOCKET NO. 239 · THE DEFENSE DESK

NY Penal Law § 135.35: Labor Trafficking.

Labor Trafficking What is Labor Trafficking? The term "labor trafficking" is a contemporary term that basically means slavery. It speaks of making a person perform work by the use of force, fraud, or...

Todd A. Spodek
Todd A. Spodek
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What is Labor Trafficking?

The term "labor trafficking" is a contemporary term that basically means slavery. It speaks of making a person perform work by the use of force, fraud, or coercion. There are numerous types of labor trafficking, including forcing a person to work to pay off a debt, making someone do work by giving that person drugs, or forcing a person to work for very low or no pay by withholding that person's passport.

Elements of Labor Trafficking

You could be prosecuted for the crime of labor trafficking under New York Penal Law § 135.35 if you induce a person to work under the following circumstances:

1 Giving the person drugs
2 For the purpose of repaying a debt where fraud was a factor
3 Withholding a passport or other immigration document to coerce them
4 Using physical force to coerce them
5 Using a coercion threat against them, saying you will do one of the following: inflict physical injury, damage their property, kidnap or unlawfully imprison them or someone they care about, accuse the person of a crime, expose a person's secret, testify or withhold testimony in court, or abuse the authority of an official office to another person's detriment.

Labor trafficking is categorized a class D felony.

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