Defendant Victor Nikolayevich Virchenko is a Russian national who was involved in a human trafficking scheme. Defendant Virckenko, along with his co-defendants Pavel Agafonov, a naturalized US citizen, and Tony Kennard, a US citizen, trafficked women and minor girls from Russia into Alaska to dance nude in strip clubs. The victims, nine young female Russian folk dancers, were told they would be participating in folk shows across the US. When they arrived in the US, however, Defendants took their passports and return tickets and forced them to dance nude at strip clubs. The Russian victims were brought into the US in December 2000 and were freed by the INS in January 2001. Defendant Virchenko was arrested at the Anchorage International Airport. Only Kennard appealed his guilty plea.
Vichenko pled guilty to the immigration fraud and transportation of minor charges.
Kennard pled guilty to the visa fraud and transportation of minors for illegal activity charges and was sentenced accordingly.
Agafonov pled guilty to visa fraud and transportation of minors.
18 USCS 1546
18 USC 2421
18 USC 1201 & 1202
18 USC 1589 & 2
18 USC 2423(a) & 2
18 USC 371
18 USC 1546(a) & 2
18 USC 1201 & 2
18 USC 1589 & 2
2nd Instance citation: 46 Fed. Appx. 426
Kennard appealed, claiming his guilty plea was not valid as it was not made knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently as required by U.S. law. However, the appellate court disagreed and upheld his conviction and sentence.
U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska
This is the first case tried under the U.S.'s TVPA.