Former Davidson nail salon owner sentenced to prison in human trafficking, forced labor case
A Charlotte woman who formerly owned Luxury Nail Salon in Davidson was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of human trafficking and forced labor.
Tien Luong was found guilty of the crimes in 2021. On Wednesday, a federal judge sentenced her to 180 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
Channel 9 first started investigating the human trafficking case in 2018.
Luong abused the victim by stabbing her with nail tools, pulling her hair out, twisting her arms, kicking her in her private areas and pouring acetone on her head, among other forms of physical and psychological abuse, officials said. She was forcing the victim to work for her to repay an imaginary $180,000 debt.
Cameras were not allowed in the federal courtroom on Wednesday, but WSOC was there.
Federal Judge Kenneth D. Bell called Luong’s actions, “outrageous” during the sentencing hearing on Wednesday.
He also ordered Luong to pay the victim $74,626 in restitution.
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“The message is 180 months for a person that does not have a criminal history – [it] lets the community and those who are doing similar acts [know] that this type of criminal behavior will not be tolerated in our communities,” Dena King, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, told WSOC in an interview after the sentencing.
Judge Bell asked that Luong be placed in a prison close to Charlotte and that she be able to take part in mental health services and classes.
Before the sentencing, Luong tearfully stood up in an orange and white striped jail suit and addressed the court she said.
“I’m sorry for what I did,” she told the judge as she wept.
King said the outcome of the case would give comfort to the victim who was too emotionally and physically traumatized to be in court on Wednesday.
“I think it helps her to understand that she was actually heard,” King said. “On today, they actually handed down that justice so she could get that.”
(Watch below: Police look for more victims after Davidson nail salon workers accused of human trafficking)
