California family convicted of trafficking immigrants and labor theft

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The California Department of Justice announced on Tuesday the conviction of a family that preyed on the Filipino community in the Bay Area through human trafficking and labor exploitation.     

Some members of the Gamos Family operated an adult residential and childcare company called Rainbow Bright, which is used to exploit recent immigrants to the U.S., Attorney General Rob Bonta said.     

The defendants trafficked many of their victims using threats of arrest and deportation and false promises to assist with immigration. In some cases, the victim's passports were confiscated.     

The family's crimes spanned a decade, Bonta said, from 2008 to 2018. Joshua Gamos also physically abused one of the victims.     

"This organized criminal enterprise targeted vulnerable people looking for work opportunities, exploited and abused workers in a horrific trafficking scheme," said Bonta.     

Rainbow Bright employees were required to live and work in care homes and daycare for hours far exceeding a normal workday, the DOJ said. They were also forced to sleep on floors and in garages. Some employees reported being locked outside when the defendants were not home.     

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The jury found that the defendants took $500,000 in the commission of their scheme and that the Gamos' acted with intent to cause great bodily injury and with cruelty, viciousness, and callousness.     

The defendants are due to be sentenced on August 19 at the San Mateo Superior Court. They are:   

- Joshua Gamos, 46. Found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit human trafficking and grand theft of labor; one count of human trafficking, 16 counts of grand theft of labor, one count of workers compensation fraud, nine counts of failure to file unemployment tax returns, and nine counts of failure to collect or pay unemployment insurance taxes.     

- Noel Gamos, 44. Found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit human trafficking and grand theft of labor, one count of human trafficking, 16 counts of grand theft of labor, nine counts of failure to file unemployment insurance tax returns, and nine counts of failure to collect or pay unemployment insurance taxes.    

 - Carlina Gamos, 70, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit human trafficking and grand theft of labor, two counts of human trafficking, 17 counts of grand theft of labor, nine counts of failure to file unemployment insurance tax returns, and nine counts of failure to collect or pay unemployment insurance taxes.     

- Gerlin Gamos, 42, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of grand theft.