Siblings Forced Second Cousin To Work With No Pay

“Even to his point, she had not received a salary,” said Tenorio. “They kept everything she had earned.”

NBCUniversal, Inc.

A Tierrasanta brother and sister were arrested and indicted Thursday on federal labor violation charges.

Jason Luu, 44, and his sister, Cindy Mydung Luu, 53, lured their second cousin over from Vietnam in 2014 to work at their San Diego nail salons with the promise that her family could come later, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The Luus own two Rancho Bernardo Nail Salons called Majestic Nails & Spa and Eden Nails. They are located in the Sprouts shopping center off Pomerado Road and Bernardo Heights Parkway.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tenorio said he has been working on this victim’s case for eight months. He said his team could not have helped the victim without the help of two nail salon customers who became suspicious of the victim’s long hours.

“They were very caring and loving. They were friends with her and she had a lot of questions,” Tenorio said.

The victim came legally to San Diego on a student visa in 2014 when she was 18 years old. She went to Grossmont College for three semesters, Tenorio said.

“She is smart, she taught herself English and started to explain to those customers what was going on,” said Tenorio.

In 2016, Tenorio said the Luus schemed to tell the victim she could no longer go to school and had to work for them full-time because she owed them $100,000.

“Even to his point, she had not received a salary,” said Tenorio. “They kept everything she had earned.”

Then he said that is when the victim was forced to marry Jason Luu after her student visa expired.

Jason Luu posted bail and told NBC 7 that he is aware the charges against him are serious.

His lawyer Issac Blumberg sent NBC 7 the following statement:
“The Luus are hard-working citizens and they vigorously deny the allegations.”

Cindy Luu has not posted bail under bond conditions set by the judge, according to her lawyer Jeremy Warren.

The victim wants the money she earned over the last five years and to see her family brought to the U.S. as she was initially promised.

The Luus will be in federal court again on January 17th.

Contact Us