Two Plead Guilty to Forcing Deaf Mexicans to Sell Trinkets

Alfredo Rustrian Paoletti, known as “The Hearing Man” by deaf Mexicans he allegedly smuggled into the United States, pleaded guilty along with a second defendant to conspiracy charges Thursday.

Rustrian, 37, and Raul Alanis, 25, were among 20 people indicted Aug. 20 for violating the civil rights of 60 Mexicans by bringing them to the United States and forcing them to peddle key chains and other cheap trinkets on subways and streets.

The scheme, in operation since 1993 in New York and other cities, earned about $1 million a year, federal officials say. It was exposed last July when four deaf Mexicans fled their “workhouse” in Queens and told police about their plight.

Rustrian and Alanis pleaded guilty to conspiring to recruit, smuggle, transport and keep prisoner the deaf mutes, watching them to make sure they sold enough key chains and would not try to flee.

In return, the government agreed to drop other charges at the Jan. 23 sentencing. The other charges included extortion--punishable by up to 20 years in prison--and transporting and harboring of aliens.

Both men face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but were expected to draw sentences ranging from 24 to 30 months for Alanis and 18 to 24 months for Rustrian--followed by deportation to Mexico.

Both defendants said some of their victims were beaten and threatened for breaking the rules.

Twice, Rustrian was sent to bring back some who did try to escape, his lawyer, Dawn Cardi, told the court.

Cardi said Rustrian’s decision to plead guilty to one charge had nothing to do with the earlier plea of Frank Coenen, 35, another defendant.

On Tuesday, Coenen, an American and one of two non-Mexicans in the case, pleaded guilty to extortion and conspiracy. He could face up to 20 years on the extortion charge, but his plea was expected to lead to a lesser sentence.

Rustrian is one of two among the 20 indicted who can hear--hence his nickname, “The Hearing Man.”