Forced Labor Ring Busted in Virginia: Three Midlothian Residents Sentenced to Prison.
A 12-year-long nightmare has finally come to an end for a Pakistani woman who was forced to perform domestic labor against her will. Zahida Aman, 80, and her two accomplices, Mohammed Rehan Chaudhri, 48, and Mohammad Nauman Chaudhri, 55, were sentenced to prison for their roles in the crime.
According to court documents, the victim married Aman’s son in 2002 and was subsequently forced to live in the defendants’ home. Over the next 12 years, the three defendants subjected the victim to physical and verbal abuse, coerced her into performing domestic services, and threatened to deport her if she didn’t comply.
The abuse was relentless, with the defendants slapping, kicking, and pushing the victim on multiple occasions. They even went so far as to hog-tie her and drag her down the stairs in front of her children. The defendants also threatened to separate the victim from her children, further exploiting her vulnerable situation.
The victim, a native of Pakistan, held temporary immigration status in the United States. Aman took her immigration documents, adding to the victim’s fear and dependence on the defendants.
After a seven-day trial in May 2022, the jury convicted all three defendants of conspiracy to commit forced labor, with two of them also found guilty of forced labor. Aman was also convicted of document servitude.
U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney sentenced Zahida Aman to 12 years in federal prison, Mohammed Rehan Chaudhri to 10 years, and Mohammad Nauman Chaudhri to 5 years. The court also ordered Aman and Rehan Chaudhri to pay the victim approximately $250,000 in restitution for back wages and other financial losses she incurred as a result of the defendants’ criminal conduct.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shea Gibbons, Stephen Miller, and Heather H. Mansfield, with the assistance of Trial Attorney Leah L. Branch of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
The victim’s story is a harrowing reminder of the prevalence of human trafficking in our country. It’s a crime that preys on the vulnerable and exploits the weak. We must continue to work together to bring these perpetrators to justice and support the victims of such heinous crimes.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Human Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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