It took five years to hunt him down, and about five hours to sentence him.
But as of today, the federal government is done chasing Ukrainian nightclub owner Veniamin Gonikman, who was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in an operation that smuggled Eastern European women into the U.S. and forced them to work in local strip clubs. He is the ninth and last defendant to be convicted in the human trafficking case.
Gonikman, who led the government on an international manhunt for years, only admitted to money laundering, and insisted there were no "vulnerable victims," that he was never on the run, and that he lived openly in Ukraine. He was pushing for a 10-month sentence.
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Detroit Free Press: Ukrainian club owner draws 36 months in Eastern European human trafficking scheme
Ukrainian nightclub owner Veniamin Gonikman was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in an operation that smuggled Eastern European women into the U.S. and forced them to work in local strip clubs.
