Zahida Aman, Conspiracy to Force Labor, Virginia 2023

Virginia Family Accused of Forcing Victim to Labor in Their Home for Years

In a shocking case of modern-day slavery, a Virginia family is facing federal charges for allegedly forcing a victim to labor in their home for over a decade. The indictment, unsealed on March 16, 2023, charges Zahida Aman, 77, Mohammed Naumann Chaudhri, 51, and Mohammed Rehan Chaudhri, 45, all of Midlothian, Virginia, with conspiracy to force labor, forced labor, and document servitude.

According to the indictment, between March 2002 and August 2014, the defendants conspired to force the victim, who had been married to Aman's son, to provide labor and services at their Midlothian home, including cleaning the house, painting the house, and mowing the lawn. The indictment further alleges that the defendants subjected the victim to physical, psychological, and verbal abuse, withheld her food, restricted her communications with family and neighbors, confiscated her immigration and identification documents, limited her access to her own children, and threatened to separate her from her children, among other coercive means.

The case is being investigated by the FBI's Richmond Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Heather Mansfield for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Vasantha Rao and Maryam Zhuravitsky for the Civil Rights Division's Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. If convicted of forced labor, the defendants face sentences of up to 20 years in prison, as well as mandatory restitution.

The victim, who has not been named, suffered years of abuse at the hands of the defendants. The case highlights the need for increased awareness and vigilance in identifying and preventing human trafficking.

The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate the FBI's and the Department of Justice's commitment to combating human trafficking and protecting the rights of victims.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/three-members-virginia-family-arrested-and-charged-conspiring-force-victim-labor-their-home