Couple found guilty in modern day slavery case

Описание: (17 Dec 2007) EM4744
HEADLINE: Couple found guilty in modern day slavery case
forced labor
CAPTION: A jury on Monday convicted a millionaire couple of enslaving 2 Indonesian women they brought to their mansion to work as housekeepers. Mahender Sabhnani and his wife, Varsha, were each convicted on charges ranging from forced labor to harboring aliens. (Dec. 17) 2008
23:08:43
00:03:01
[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE]
A jury has found a Long Island, New York, couple guilty of keeping two Indonesian women as slaves.
((FONT: Central Islip, NY))
As soon as the verdict was read, newly convicted Varsha Sabhnani and her daughter passed out in court.
Both had to be rushed to the hospital.
Mahender Sabhnani was allowed to visit his wife in the hospital.
The jury found the couple guilty of ALL 12 federal counts.
Those include forced labor, conspiracy, involuntary servitude and harboring aliens.
Defense attorneys said they'd appeal the verdict.
((FONT: Jeffrey Hoffman, Defense Attorney))
"Sure, obviously it's disappointing."
The couple was accused of "modern day slavery" after bringing two women here to work as housekeepers, paying their families around 100 dollars a month.
Varsha Sabhnani was accused of torturing the women: beating and cutting them.
Prosecutors say she made one woman to eat hot chili peppers until she vomited, then force her to eat the vomit.
Another time, she wrapped one woman nude in tape, then forced the other woman to tear it off.
The two women, known only as Samirah and Enung, say they were starved and forced to sleep on mats in the kitchen.
Prosecutors charged the husband with the same crimes as the wife, saying he was as twisted as his wife for allowing the conduct to take place in his home.
((FONT: Ted Shaffrey, The Associated Press))
"The maximum penalty for the Sabhnanis is 40 years each in prison. But under federal sentencing guidelines for first time offenders, attorneys predict they will receive considerably less than that.
STORYLINE

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