Paguirigan v. Prompt Nursing, et al.
The Sentosa Human Trafficking Class Action
The Sentosa group of nursing homes and its owners have been sued for violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and breach of contract. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of more than 350 nurses from the Philippines.
The defendants in the lawsuit are SentosaCare LLC, Benjamin Landa, Bent Philipson, Prompt Nursing Employment Agency, Berish Rubinstein (aka Barry Rubinstein), Francris Luyun, and several Sentosa nursing homes.
The complaint alleges that the Sentosa defendants are foreign labor recruiters and nursing home owners who have recruited more than 350 nurses in the Philippines to work for the Sentosa defendants under contracts of indentured servitude. Once the foreign nurses arrived in the United States, the Sentosa defendants refused to pay the wages required by their employment contracts. To keep the foreign nurses from leaving, the Sentosa defendants commenced and threatened to commence baseless civil litigation, professional disciplinary proceedings, and criminal charges as part of a plan and scheme to cause the foreign nurses to believe that they will suffer serious harm if they stop working for the defendants.
Click here to read the full complaint.
On September 24, 2019, a federal judge found that Sentosa and its owners -- Benjamin Landa and Bent Philipson -- violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The judge also found that Prompt Nursing Employment Agency and its owner, Berish Rubinstein, breached contracts with approximately 200 nurses by failing to pay them the prevailing wage.
Click here to read the Court's human trafficking and breach of contract decision.
The defendants in the lawsuit are SentosaCare LLC, Benjamin Landa, Bent Philipson, Prompt Nursing Employment Agency, Berish Rubinstein (aka Barry Rubinstein), Francris Luyun, and several Sentosa nursing homes.
The complaint alleges that the Sentosa defendants are foreign labor recruiters and nursing home owners who have recruited more than 350 nurses in the Philippines to work for the Sentosa defendants under contracts of indentured servitude. Once the foreign nurses arrived in the United States, the Sentosa defendants refused to pay the wages required by their employment contracts. To keep the foreign nurses from leaving, the Sentosa defendants commenced and threatened to commence baseless civil litigation, professional disciplinary proceedings, and criminal charges as part of a plan and scheme to cause the foreign nurses to believe that they will suffer serious harm if they stop working for the defendants.
Click here to read the full complaint.
On September 24, 2019, a federal judge found that Sentosa and its owners -- Benjamin Landa and Bent Philipson -- violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The judge also found that Prompt Nursing Employment Agency and its owner, Berish Rubinstein, breached contracts with approximately 200 nurses by failing to pay them the prevailing wage.
Click here to read the Court's human trafficking and breach of contract decision.
