A Virginia couple has been sentenced to prison for forcing their cousin to work for free at their gas station and convenience store for over three years. The couple, Harmanpreet Singh, 31, and Kulbir Kaur, 43, are now divorced [US Department of Justice].
Singh received a sentence of 11 years and 3 months, while Kaur was sentenced to 7 years and 3 months. The judge also ordered the couple to pay their cousin $225,210.76 in compensation for the stolen wages.
The pair lured the victim, who is Singh’s younger cousin, to the United States with the promise of helping him enroll in school. However, upon arrival, they confiscated his immigration documents and forced him to work long hours at their business instead.
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For over three years, the victim was held captive and compelled to work 12 to 17 hour days, nearly every single day. He was forced to perform various tasks including cleaning, cooking, stocking shelves, and even handling cash and store records – all for minimal pay.
“The defendants exploited their relationship with the victim to lure him to the United States with false promises that they would help enroll him in school,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendants confiscated the victim’s immigration documents and subjected him to threats, physical force and mental abuse to coerce him to work long hours for minimal pay. This sentence should send a strong message that such forced labor will not be tolerated in our communities. The Justice Department is committed to fully enforcing our federal human trafficking statutes to vindicate the rights of survivors and hold human traffickers accountable for such shameful exploitation of vulnerable victims.”
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“The crimes committed by these defendants are not merely violations of the law; they are an afront to humanity,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “These defendants preyed on the victim’s earnest desire to attain an education and improve his life. Instead, they deprived him of the most basic human needs and robbed him of his freedom. We remain steadfastly committed to securing justice for victims of human trafficking.”
The FBI Richmond Field Office investigated the case.
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