Christian Vitela, 37, of Milton has escaped from charges of human trafficking because his lawyer successfully argued he was not provided information he needed to make his defence case in court.
A joint police investigation into Mexican workers Vitela controlled involved the RCMP and immigration officials from Hamilton, Peel, Niagara and the Waterloo Region.
About 80 Mexicans worked via Vitela in meat-packing plants, greenhouses, recycling facilities and farms growing flowers, fruits and raising mink.
Vitela transported the workers to job sites, collected payment from the owners and paid the Mexicans, minus charges for rent and other services.
Officials said the workers were housed in substandard and crowded facilities, including about a dozen in Vitela’s home in Milton.
Charges were laid in 2019. Vitela’s lawyer told Justice Stephen Darroch that he was denied access to Vitela’s cell phone which he needed for his defence research.
The Judge dismissed the case at the opening of what was scheduled to be a month-long trial.
But the most important thing is that Vitela's human trafficking has been ended.
