Modern Slave Owners Docked $1 Million by Judge

UPDATE
The New American Slavery


Varsha Sabhnani

[UPDATE to "Illegal Immigration and the Return of Slavery to America"]

Illegal Immigration and the Return of Slavery to America detailed, among others, the story of two Indonesian housekeepers who were literally enslaved by a wealthy Long Island couple. A federal judge recently awarded the two housekeepers almost one million dollars in back wages.

Compensation has followed liberation.

Judge Arthur Spatt said Friday the maids were entitled to double their unpaid wages because they were abused while working around the clock for Varsha and Mahender Sabhnani.

The victims have testified that they were beaten, slashed with knives and compelled to take freezing showers for such misdeeds as sleeping late in what prosecutors had said amounted to a "modern-day slavery" case.

The judge awarded the housekeepers a total of more than $936,000 — at least $700,000 more than the Sabhnanis' lawyers considered reasonable.

The Muttowntown couple was convicted in December of charges including forced labor. Varsha Sabhnani has been sentenced to 11 years in prison, her husband to 3 years and 4 months.

$1,000,000.

Deserved.

by pat

Source/image:
* Housekeepers Get Almost $1M in 'Modern-Day Slavery' Case

MA Cops Awarded "Corruption" Plaques; Might File Federal Charges Against the Dirty Rat That Did This

Ungrateful?

Police in Lawrence, MA were so unhappy at receiving plaques honoring them for being corrupt, they're thinking of making a federal case out of it.

The impressive-looking plaques were each embossed with a gold police shield, a small gun and each was engraved with an officer's name.

Police launched an investigation immediately into sent them the awards.

The cops were so upset at receiving the award, they are contemplating filing federal charges.

But these "plaques" sent to the police department Sunday were no awards. They came from a bogus address in Puerto Rico, supposedly sent from a former assistant district attorney and were in recognition for the officers being "corrupt." They were dated "9-11-2007."

As first reported on The Eagle-Tribune's Web site eagletribune.com yesterday, police Chief John Romero has launched an investigation into who sent the packages. He said police are contemplating criminal charges, possibly at the federal level. Police yesterday dusted the plaques for fingerprints. Romero was one of the recipients of the so-called award.

Lawrence police also notified the postal inspector in Boston. The sender could face federal charges for using the U.S. Postal Service "to threaten, harass or intimidate," Romero said.

Police said that they have a suspect in mind "based on similar harassing correspondence" Romero had received. He declined to identify the suspect.

It's not uncommon for the Police Department to receive disparaging or critical letters along with notes of kudos and praise. But Romero said he's never received a plaque of this nature.

"It seems this individual went to great lengths and expense to do this. That, in itself, is disturbing," Romero said.

Whoever made up the plaques and shipped them went to considerable expense, Romero said. The plaques probably cost $200 apiece to make and the shipping total was $75.

Local papers routinely publish the names of people arrested for charges which are later dropped. This unwanted publicity is sometimes called "rehabilitation through humiliation".

Seems someone must have thought the Lawrence, MA police department needed rehabilitated.

by Mondoreb
hat tip: Brock Lorber, FP
image: eagle-tribune
Source: Fake Plaques sent to the Lawrence police for corruption



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.