HOUSTON — Sandra Nsobundu, 50, and Chudy Nsobundu, 58, of Katy, Texas, have paid a staggering $121,046.91 in full restitution to a Nigerian woman they trafficked and exploited as a live-in nanny for more than two years. The payment, secured by federal prosecutors before the couple could begin their sentence, marks a rare and aggressive enforcement of restitution in a labor trafficking case that shocked the Houston suburbs.
The victim, brought to the U.S. under false promises of a better life, was forced to work nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from September 29, 2013, to October 10, 2015. She was denied meals with the family, forced to sleep on the floor between the beds of two children, and stripped of her passport and bank records upon arrival. Sandra Nsobundu confiscated the woman’s documents and used threats of deportation and physical harm to keep her in bondage.
Sandra pleaded guilty to unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of forced labor; Chudy admitted to visa fraud. Both admitted in court filings they intended to restrict the victim’s liberty and movement to maintain control over her labor. They initially argued restitution should not exceed $30,000. But after a detailed Department of Labor report and a January 5, 2018, hearing, U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas ordered them to pay $121,035.04 — nearly four times their proposed amount.
Under standard practice, the Nsobundus would have paid $500 monthly, stretching restitution over two decades. But the Financial Litigation Unit (FLU) at the U.S. Attorney’s Office uncovered the couple’s substantial financial assets, swiftly seized banking records, and forced immediate payment—plus interest—totaling $121,046.91. The move bypassed years of waiting and set a precedent in victim compensation.
Sentenced to 14 months each — seven months in prison followed by seven months of home confinement — the Nsobundus will also serve three years of supervised release. Sandra must pay an additional $5,000 fine under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015. The couple’s threats, verbal abuse, and control tactics — including restricting the woman to just two short walks per day — were central to the coercion proven in court.
“We cannot undo the mental and physical harm she has experienced,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick, who announced the payment. “But what we can do is give her what she is owed and the ability to regain some financial stability.” The full payout, delivered directly to the victim, stands as one of the most complete restitution achievements in modern Texas labor trafficking history.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Human Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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