A couple of Indian Americans have been charged of fraudulent activities
At their petrol station and convenience shop in Virginia, an Indian-American couple is accused of threatening a worker, taking his identification, and forcing him to perform services for little or no pay.
Wednesday’s seven-count indictment against Indian Americans Harmanpreet Singh, 30, and Kulbir Kaur, 42, of North Chesterfield, was handed down by a federal jury in Richmond. Charges include conspiring to use forced labour, engaging in forced labour, harbouring illegal aliens for financial advantage, using documents as slaves, conspiring to commit bankruptcy fraud, and engaging in false transfers in the course of filing for bankruptcy.
The victim was allegedly forced to perform labour and services for Harmanpreet and Kulbir between March 2018 and May 2021, according to court filings.
The victim was a cashier who also managed shop records, cleaned, and prepared food, according to a statement from the Department of Justice. The indictment claimed that the couple forced the victim to work long hours for little pay by using a variety of coercive tactics, such as taking his immigration papers, abusing him physically, threatening to use force or cause other serious harm, and occasionally living in a deplorable environment.
The defendants allegedly harboured the victim after his visa expired for financial advantage and engaged in bankruptcy-related fraud offences, according to the indictment.
A potential sentence of 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and required restitution are all possible outcomes for the accusation of forced labour.
