Prime Fencing Academy on Sierra Court in Dublin. (Photo by Jeremy Walsh)
A former Ukraine National Fencing Team member and his spouse, who run a training school for the niche sport in the Tri-Valley, have been charged after allegedly failing to properly pay immigrant instructors they recruited to the Bay Area from Eastern Europe, including his war-torn homeland.
Bogdan Dolzhenko and Jeanne Amistoso are due in court next week for their first appearance in the criminal case filed by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office on Jan. 5, following separate investigations by local and federal authorities into allegations made over a year ago of labor violations, wage theft and possible human trafficking.
“Once in the United States, the victims quickly realized that the $2500 monthly salary and 40 hour work week schedule they were originally promised were much different,” DA’s inspector James Henry wrote in a probable cause statement that set the stage for the criminal complaint.
Dolzhenko, 31, faces 12 counts and a slew of special allegations while his wife Amistoso, 63, is charged with four felonies, one misdemeanor and potential enhancements. They remain out of custody, according to county jail records.
The coaching couple, who operate Prime Fencing Academy in Dublin, did not respond to a request for comment as of Tuesday. They had no legal representation listed in the court file ahead of their arraignment date of next Thursday (Jan. 22), which is the earliest they could enter a formal plea to the charges against them.
Operating in an office and industrial park on Sierra Court just off Dublin Boulevard, Prime Fencing Academy caters to the training needs of fencers of all skill levels and ages, including a particular focus on youth athletes. The business previously operated in Pleasanton and potentially under different names in the past.
Dolzhenko and his Prime Fencing Academy first came upon authorities’ radar in November 2024 when the Polaris Project’s National Human Trafficking Hotline received a tip about the Dublin business, according to Henry.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security subsequently submitted an initial report to the DA’s Office with the statements of one current and one former employee, the inspector wrote. During the ensuing local investigation, Henry was able to find two more victims who formerly worked for the academy.
“The four victims were living in Ukraine and Poland areas when they were contacted by Suspect Bogdan Dolzhenko. The name Bogdan Dolzhenko is well known in this part of Europe,” Henry stated.
Dolzhenko competed in fencing for over 15 years, including seven years on the Ukrainian national team and had notable finishes in individual and team events at major tournaments like the European Championships, the World Championships, the Junior World Cup and the Ukraine National Championships, according to his biography on the school’s website.
Amistoso has been involved in fencing for more than 20 years as both a coach and an athlete, including medaling in national and regional tournaments in senior divisions, according to her bio.
Authorities allege Dolzhenko and Amistoso enticed the foreign fencers to work for them under the Uniting for Ukraine temporary visa program, applying to sponsor as many as 10 U4U visas for others as of April 2024.
The victims all told investigators similar stories, according to Henry – Dolzhenko promised them jobs in the U.S., help with immigration sponsorship, a place to live and a monthly salary of $2,500 if they would coach at his fencing academy in Dublin.
Prime Fencing Academy on Sierra Court in Dublin. (Photo by Jeremy Walsh)
They came to America and started at Prime Fencing Academy during 2024, but found the circumstances far from what was described. They were working nine hours per day during weekdays and 10 to 14 hours a day on weekends, their apartments were under Dolzhenko’s name, and they only received $200 to $1,500 a month while being told rent and other costs were being deducted but without proper documentation, according to the DA inspector.
“They were advised it was ‘customary’ in the United States to not get paid for the first month of work,” Henry wrote.
The investigation revealed the four workers, who have all left the school now, were paid below minimum wage, they were misclassified as independent contractors and that Dolzhenko and Amistoso were the only employees legally listed for the business from 2022 and 2024, according to Henry.
Dolzhenko is charged alone with four counts of wage theft and three counts of obtaining labor under false pretenses, and he and his wife together face four felony counts related to tax evasion and insurance fraud as well as misdemeanor failure to secure workers’ compensation. There are also special allegations for vulnerable victims, sophistication of crime, coercion and financial damages.
They are scheduled to appear at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin at 9 a.m. Jan. 22. According to the DA inspector’s report, the federal investigation by DHS is still pending and could result in further charges.
Most Popular