State and local officials are expressing outrage after a man at the heart of a major Minnesota labor-trafficking prosecution was back on a construction site, just weeks before his trial begins.

Ricardo Batres
(Hennepin County photo)

A Twin Cities television station reported that Ricardo Batres is out on bond, awaiting trial on charges of trafficking undocumented workers to job sites, stealing their wages, and blocking workers' compensation claims and medical treatment for those who are injured. The case is considered to be one of Minnesota's first major labor-trafficking prosecutions.

The station reported that it had filmed Batres on site last week at a large construction project. The contractor for the project initially denied Batres was there, then later said Batres had slipped in under an alias.

A spokesperson for the Reuter Walton construction and development company said the firm remains “committed to a renewed vigor of vetting every worker and subcontractor on all of our projects. This story unfortunately brings to light an industry-wide challenge that many contractors have faced. We will work tirelessly to protect the workers on our projects, and ensure all of our subcontractors are in compliance with all state, local and federal laws and regulations.”

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Batres may have violated terms of his release, but contractors on the job could now face extra scrutiny.

“General contractors can’t hide behind their subcontractors for labor violations or criminal behavior, especially if they’ve created the environment where their subcontractors feel empowered or even obligated to commit those violations,” Ellison said.