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Indian American couple in Virginia sentenced for forcing cousin into labor
Harmanpreet Singh, 31, was sentenced to 135 months in prison and Kulbir Kaur, 43, was sentenced to 87 months in prison.
Representational image / Pexels
An Indian American couple was on June.25 sentenced by the Eastern District of Virginia for forcing their cousin into labor at their gas station and convenience store for a period of three years. The couple has since divorced.
While Harmanpreet Singh, 31, is sentenced to 135 months in prison, Kulbir Kaur, 43, is sentenced to 87 months in prison. Additionally, the court ordered Singh and Kaur to pay the victim $225,210.76 in restitution.
“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.
Clarke added that the couple had seized the victim's immigration documents and used threats, force, and mental abuse to coerce him into working long hours for minimal pay. According to Clarke, this sentence sends a clear message that forced labor is unacceptable. He emphasized that the Justice Department is committed to enforcing human trafficking laws to protect survivors and hold traffickers accountable for exploiting vulnerable individuals.
“The crimes committed by these defendants are not merely violations of the law; they are an affront to humanity,” said US 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.”
Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division assured that “the FBI will continue to work in all communities to stop forced labor trafficking and the psychological and physical violence that comes with it”.
In a significant legal outcome following a two-week trial in January, a federal jury in the Eastern District of Virginia had found Singh and Kaur guilty of multiple charges including conspiracy to commit forced labor, forced labor itself, harboring for financial gain, and document servitude. The case, rooted in events dating back to 2018, revealed disturbing details of exploitation and coercion.
The trial unfolded with evidence demonstrating that Singh and Kaur enticed Singh's cousin, who was a minor at the time, to travel from India to the United States under false pretenses of educational support. Upon the victim's arrival, the defendants confiscated his immigration documents and coerced him into unpaid labor at Singh's store for an extended period spanning from March 2018 to May 2021.
According to testimonies presented, the victim endured grueling work conditions, being compelled to work 12 to 17 hours daily, performing tasks such as cleaning, cooking, stocking inventory, and managing the cash register under threat and duress. The couple employed various coercive tactics, including physical abuse, threats of violence, and controlling living conditions, which included depriving the victim of adequate food and medical care.
Furthermore, evidence showcased instances where the victim was confined to a back office for days, subjected to surveillance, and denied basic rights such as access to education or the ability to return to his homeland. Additionally, the defendants forced the victim into marriage with Kaur as a means of further control, threatening repercussions including false legal charges or property seizures against his family if he attempted to escape.
During the trial, accounts revealed disturbing acts of physical violence by Singh against the victim, including hair-pulling, slapping, kicking, and menacing with a firearm on multiple occasions to prevent him from taking leave or seeking help.
The verdict underscores the severity of human trafficking and forced labor issues, emphasizing the need for robust legal enforcement and protections against exploitation within vulnerable communities.
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