Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
International

Indian-American couple charged with committing fraud, forced labour

Darpan News Desk IANS, 20 Jul, 2023 11:45 AM
  • Indian-American couple charged with committing fraud, forced labour

New York, July 20 (IANS) An Indian-American couple has been charged with multiple offences, including confiscating a worker's documents, forcing him to provide services for minimal pay and subjecting him to threats at their gas station and convenience store in Virginia.

Returning a seven-count indictment on Wednesday, a federal jury in Richmond laid a total of six charges against Harmanpreet Singh, 30, and Kulbir Kaur, 42, of North Chesterfield region.

The charges include, conspiracy to commit forced labor, forced labor, alien harboring for financial gain, document servitude, conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud, and fraudulent transfers in completion of bankruptcy.

According to the court documents, between March 2018 and May 2021, Harmanpreet and Kulbir allegedly forced the victim to provide labour and services at their store.

The victim worked as a cashier, preparing food, cleaning and managing store records, the Department of Justice said in a release.

The indictment alleged that the couple used various coercive means, including confiscating the victim’s immigration documents and subjecting the victim to physical abuse, threats of force and other serious harm and, at times, degrading living conditions, to compel him to work long hours for minimal pay.

The indictment further alleges that the defendants harboured the victim after his visa expired for financial gain and committed bankruptcy-related fraud offences.

The charge of forced labor carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and mandatory restitution.

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

MORE International ARTICLES

3 dead in Copenhagen shopping mall shooting

3 dead in Copenhagen shopping mall shooting
At 5.48 p.m., a 22-year-old Danish man in possession of a rifle and ammunition was arrested outside the shopping mall. The motive for the shooting remains unknown and the suspect will face questioning by a judge on Monday. On Sunday night, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Denmark had suffered a cruel attack.

3 dead in Copenhagen shopping mall shooting

Padma Shri Raj Bothra acquitted of all charges in US trial

Padma Shri Raj Bothra acquitted of all charges in US trial
US attorneys said the defendants illicitly prescribed over 13 million pills and made false claims to illegally collect over $20 million from Medicare, over $17 million from Medicaid and over $15 million from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, from 2013 to 2018.

Padma Shri Raj Bothra acquitted of all charges in US trial

All eyes on airlines as July Fourth holiday weekend nears

All eyes on airlines as July Fourth holiday weekend nears
Problems were popping up well before the weekend, with some disruptions caused by thunderstorms that slowed air traffic. American Airlines canceled 8% of its flights on Tuesday and Wednesday, and United Airlines scrubbed 4% of its schedule both days, according to FlightAware.

All eyes on airlines as July Fourth holiday weekend nears

WHO: COVID-19 cases rising nearly everywhere in the world

WHO: COVID-19 cases rising nearly everywhere in the world
The biggest weekly rise in new COVID-19 cases was seen in the Middle East, where they increased by 47%, according to the report released late Wednesday. Infections rose by about 32% in Europe and Southeast Asia, and by about 14% in the Americas, WHO said.

WHO: COVID-19 cases rising nearly everywhere in the world

40 people found dead inside tractor-trailer in Texas

40 people found dead inside tractor-trailer in Texas
At least 40 people were found dead inside a tractor-trailer in San Antonio, Texas, local authorities said. The tractor-trailer truck was found on Monday evening next to railroad tracks in a remote area on the city's southern outskirts, Xinhua news agency reported citing local media as saying.

40 people found dead inside tractor-trailer in Texas

Indian-origin man shot dead execution-style in New York

Indian-origin man shot dead execution-style in New York
The News, quoting police sources, said that Satnam Singh had borrowed the jeep from a friend and detectives were looking into whether he was the shooter's intended target or had been mistakenly killed by someone who actually wanted to attack the owner of the vehicle.

Indian-origin man shot dead execution-style in New York