Couple to Pay Enslaved Nanny
Texas couple, Chudy and Sandra Nsobundu, pleaded guilty of forcing a Nigerian woman to work as their nanny for two years without pay and has been ordered to pay her more that $121,000 in restitution. They were additionally sentenced to seven months in jail, seven months of home confinement, and three years' probation.
The victim told authorities that the couple recruited her from her home country with an agreement that she'd be paid $100 a month to work for them. From September 2013 and October 2015, she was forced to work 19.5 hour days for the couple and their five children without pay or breaks. She was also subjected to physical and verbal abuse, strictly leftover food as her meals, and denied a bed and warm showers.
The victim told authorities that the couple recruited her from her home country with an agreement that she'd be paid $100 a month to work for them. From September 2013 and October 2015, she was forced to work 19.5 hour days for the couple and their five children without pay or breaks. She was also subjected to physical and verbal abuse, strictly leftover food as her meals, and denied a bed and warm showers.
To prevent her leaving, she said her passport was taken and she was threatened.
A tip to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center led to the nanny's liberation in 2015, where her paperwork for obtaining a proper US work visa was found to contain false information.
In 2016, Sandra Nsobundu pleaded guilty to unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of forced labor, while her husband, Chudy Nsobundu, pleaded guilty to visa fraud.
Comments from Allen:
Human trafficking, what we used to call "slavery," is very much alive. Most commonly when it surfaces, it takes the form of forced slavery to perform work, as in this case, or sex slavery.
Nonetheless, rarely do you see this kind of case in a courtroom. This was brought by the United States Attorney in Katy, Texas.
The initial charges brought carried potential 20 year sentences. I am surprised that the final plea agreement sent this pair to jail for 7 months. 7 months for bringing in an illegal alien and treating her so badly seems very light to me. The defendants were sentenced in the federal system, which has very specific guidelines concerning incarceration. I would consider this light sentence nothing short of amazing.
Another aspect of this case is restitution. The defendants were homeowners, and the statute under which they were prosecuted allowed for seizing property in which the crime took place. For that reason, the defendants are no longer homeowners, and the U.S. Attorney now has a home for sale to satisfy the $121,000 award to the victim (the name of the victim was not released).
I think the victim has received justice. She was expecting to earn $2400 for two years of work, which may not be chump change in Nigeria. However, she will receive 50 times that amount. Will she be deported back to Nigeria? Probably. But when she goes, she takes $121,000 with her. With that, she can build a new 3 bedroom house for $50,000. With the average wage for middle class Nigerians coming in at $6,000 to $7,000 per year, she will live very well when she goes home.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/couple-ordered-to-pay-enslaved-nanny_us_5a5287e0e4b089e14dbbe76f?section=us_crime
A tip to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center led to the nanny's liberation in 2015, where her paperwork for obtaining a proper US work visa was found to contain false information.
In 2016, Sandra Nsobundu pleaded guilty to unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of forced labor, while her husband, Chudy Nsobundu, pleaded guilty to visa fraud.
Comments from Allen:
Human trafficking, what we used to call "slavery," is very much alive. Most commonly when it surfaces, it takes the form of forced slavery to perform work, as in this case, or sex slavery.
Nonetheless, rarely do you see this kind of case in a courtroom. This was brought by the United States Attorney in Katy, Texas.
The initial charges brought carried potential 20 year sentences. I am surprised that the final plea agreement sent this pair to jail for 7 months. 7 months for bringing in an illegal alien and treating her so badly seems very light to me. The defendants were sentenced in the federal system, which has very specific guidelines concerning incarceration. I would consider this light sentence nothing short of amazing.
Another aspect of this case is restitution. The defendants were homeowners, and the statute under which they were prosecuted allowed for seizing property in which the crime took place. For that reason, the defendants are no longer homeowners, and the U.S. Attorney now has a home for sale to satisfy the $121,000 award to the victim (the name of the victim was not released).
I think the victim has received justice. She was expecting to earn $2400 for two years of work, which may not be chump change in Nigeria. However, she will receive 50 times that amount. Will she be deported back to Nigeria? Probably. But when she goes, she takes $121,000 with her. With that, she can build a new 3 bedroom house for $50,000. With the average wage for middle class Nigerians coming in at $6,000 to $7,000 per year, she will live very well when she goes home.
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Allen Browning is an attorney in Idaho Falls, Idaho who handles personal injury and criminal defense. He has over 30 years of experience and handled thousands of cases. Allen handles cases from all over Idaho. Call (208) 542-2700 to set up a free consultation if you are facing legal trouble or you have been involved in an accident.
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Sources for more information:https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/couple-ordered-to-pay-enslaved-nanny_us_5a5287e0e4b089e14dbbe76f?section=us_crime
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