Florence, Ala., police have charged Ming Zhang, 49, with second-degree human trafficking for allegedly trying to sell a 25-year-old Honduran man to a restaurant.
Police arrested Zhang on Nov. 23. He is being held at the Lauderdale County Detention Center, in northwestern Alabama.
Police said they suspect the Honduran man was in the country illegally but have not confirmed that. They asked that The Atlanta Journal-Constitution not identify him to protect his safety as well as their continuing investigation. Federal immigration officials took him into custody after Zhang's arrest last week, said Lauderdale County jail officials.
FBI and Homeland Security authorities have been assisting with the case, Florence police said.
“While in Florence, the Honduran male realized what was going on and objected to the sale and called police,” said Florence Police Detective Justin Wright. “This is the first case that we have had of this nature. ... This is totally new from the Atlanta area.”
Zhang’s court-appointed attorney, Jeff Austin, declined to comment Tuesday. And a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had no immediate comment.
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