Thursday, August 03, 2006

Russians smuggled into city to strip, feds say
by Jennifer Shubinski
El Paso Times [edited and adapted from original]
Saturday, August 18, 2001

"A University of Texas at El Paso research assistant and his wife were arrested Friday morning and accused of smuggling women from Russia into the United States and forcing them to work as topless dancers in El Paso, federal officials say.

"Sardar Gasanov, 40, and his wife Nadira, 37, are accused of recruiting women from their hometown Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

"The investigation began when one of the women contacted authorities in June, officials said.

"Sardar Gasanov has worked since 1992 as a research assistant in UTEP's biology department, UTEP officials said.

"The Gasanovs had little or no respect for human life. These women were held in virtual slavery, said Margaret Leachman, an assistant U.S. attorney.

"U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael McDonald unsealed a six-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury Wednesday against the Gasanovs.

"The indictment alleged that the Gasanovs promised the three women, who were 17 to 19 years old when they came to the United States, prosperous modeling jobs, extravagant life styles and the ability to bring their family members to the United States.

"The first woman came to the El Paso in 1998, and two other women followed in 1999 and 2000.

"According to the indictment, one woman was forced to marry UTEP student Ruben Dagda to stay in the United States, said Brandy Gardes, an assistant U.S. Attorney. Dagda is now wanted on charges of marriage fraud.

"Authorities believe that more than three women were involved in the smuggling scheme, said Hardrick Crawford, Jr. El Paso's top FBI agent."

[The UTEP Police are also mentioned in this article as being involved, as were the FBI, INS, Border Patrol, you name it.]

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