Man Sentenced for Trafficking Teen Into Forced Online Clothing Work

Brandon Holguin, 27, received a five-year state-prison term on November 10 after pleading no contest to felony counts of labor trafficking, child abuse and furnishing a controlled substance to a minor. He was also required to provide $4,300 to compensate for taking the teenager’s possessions.

Prosecutors said Holguin met the boy at a thrift store and later lured him into his car. He took the teenager’s phone and other belongings, including family jewelry, and drove him to several cities in Los Angeles County. At a motel, Holguin gave him Adderall and made him sort and photograph hundreds of used clothing items for online sale. The boy became sick after taking the drug, prosecutors said.

Holguin had planned to take the teenager to Northern California, but when that plan fell through, he left him beside a Los Angeles freeway in the early hours of May 5, 2025. The boy got off the freeway and found someone who called 911. Police reunited him with his family.

The teenager’s family had reported him missing three days earlier. The search included community canvassing, wireless emergency alerts and scent dogs. Holguin was arrested on May 9, four days after the boy was found.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the case involved a predator exploiting a vulnerable child for illegal labor. He thanked investigators and prosecutors for securing the conviction and holding Holguin accountable.