Speaking of dysfunctional families, we'd now like to introduce you to one of the more unsavory of the bunch on this week's list: the Botsvynyuk brothers.
The Botsvynyuks are five brothers from Ukraine, living in Philadelphia, who run a cleaning service.
Federal authorities were recently tipped off by "an international source" that the Botsvynyuks had a rather horrific way of stocking their business with employees.
Turns out that since 2000, the brothers had been engaging in human trafficking -- victimizing more than 30 immigrants in total.
Two of the brothers were still based in Ukraine, where they recruited victims, mostly men in their 20s and 30s, with promises of prosperity in America.
The brothers then helped sneak the workers into the country, where their eldest brother, 51-year-old Omelyan awaited his unwitting slaves, forcing them to work as part of his nighttime cleaning crew, which provided services at Targets, Kmarts, Wal-Marts, and various grocery chains throughout New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington D.C.
In one case, a woman signed-on with the brothers in 2000. When she arrived in the States, Omelyan forced her to clean houses for him during the day and offices at night, paying her nothing.
She was forced to live with the other worker's in a small apartment owned by one of the brothers. If she tried to flee, Omelyan warned her that he'd track her down, tie her into a bag, and throw her into the ocean, where the fish could eat her.
From 2001 to 2002, the victim claims that Omelyan repeatedly raped her and also let other men rape her once he was through with her.
Her husband had also been recruited by the brothers and was often beaten into submission while working for them.
On June 30, authorities finally caught up with Omelyan, who'd fled to Germany, and arrested him. Two of the brothers responsible for running the cleaning crews were also arrested, along with one more, who was tracked down in Canada.
Only one brother remains at large, and he is believed to still be in the Ukraine.
A federal indictment charges all five brothers with conspiracy to commit racketeering, as well as extortion.
