File photo.

PREVIOUSLY

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Press release from the Humboldt County District Attorney’s office:

Today, Judge Steven Steward sentenced Georgi Antonov Tonev, age 45, of Los Angeles, California to serve 320 days in jail following his convictions for felonious Grand Theft of Wages, False Imprisonment, Failure to Secure Worker’s Compensation Insurance and Unlawful Possession of Cannabis for Sale. After serving his jail sentence, Tonev will be on two years of felony probation with execution of a 3 year and 4 months prison term suspended. Tonev will be ordered to pay all unpaid wages to his three victims. The District Attorney will seek over $120,000 in restitution for the victims.

In 2025, Javier Escamilla-Garcia, a Mexican immigrant, was working in Tennessee when he first learned of Tonev’s attractive job offer: $3500 a month in wages, free housing and meals. Escamilla-Garcia saved up enough money to buy a ride from Tennessee to Humboldt County and in April of 2025 he met Tonev at his residence.

Tonev restated the job offer to Escamilla-Garcia and drove him to his property, Showers Pass Farm, a two-hour drive from Tonev’s Bridgeville, California home, into an entirely isolated and rural part of Humboldt County. Escamilla-Garcia only knew he was somewhere in Humboldt. He had no vehicle and no money. Tonev forbade him from driving into town and left him alone at the farm.

John Doe 2 and John Doe 3 arrived at the Showers Pass Farm shortly after Escamilla-Garcia. They were also Spanish-speaking immigrants, who were promised $3,500 per month. John Doe 2 had his own vehicle, but Tonev forbade him from bringing his own vehicle to the farm. The only road out of Tonev’s property had a locked gate for which his workers were not given a key. All three workers were trapped at the farm and were reminded that they were not allowed to leave unless they walked. All three workers were in an area where they were unaware of the closest town, and even if they knew how to get from the farm to town – they had no money, did not speak the language, and were eventually trapped by the flooded roads.

Tonev told the workers he was watching them through surveillance cameras. Food was delivered sporadically and no safe drinking water was supplied. Two victims suffered medical complications as a result that necessitated professional medical care.

After repeated denied requests for payment for their work, John Doe 2 and 3 managed to get off the property. However, Escamilla-Garcia was left behind with no vehicle, no money, and no way home. Tonev promised Escamilla-Garcia that if he worked through the trimming season, Tonev would pay him all his wages once he sold the product on the black market.

Escamilla-Garcia was completely isolated at Showers Pass Farms for approximately five months. In February of 2026, after ten months of unpaid labor, Escamilla-Garcia realized he would never be paid by Tonev. A heavy snow hit the farm and Escamilla-Garcia could hear the makeshift roof cracking. He knew that if he did not figure out how to escape, he was going to die. He was able to contact the Mexican-Consulate through Facebook messenger who immediately contacted the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department on his behalf.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department and Cal-Fire Search and Rescue deployed a helicopter and were able to locate Escamilla-Garcia through aerial surveillance.

The Humboldt County Sherrif’s office, in collaboration with the Northern California Coalition to Safeguard Communities, investigated Tonev’s criminal scheme. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Rebecca A. Buckley-stein, with assistance from Senior District Attorney Investigator Braden Brawner, and Victim Witness Advocate Caitlyn LaHaie. Defense attorney Anakalia Sullivan represented Tonev.

Prior to remanding Tonev into custody to serve his time in jail, Judge Steven Steward stated “This crime involved vulnerable workers who were dependent upon Mr. Tonev. There was a profound imbalance of power. Tonev controlled their wages, he controlled their living conditions, he controlled their access to food, shelter, and water. And he abused his power. The seriousness of Mr. Tonev’s actions cannot be measured by just the dollar amounts he stole from workers.”