MIDLOTHIAN, Va. – Three members of a Virginia family were arrested and charged with forcing a victim to provide labor in their home for a matter of years, officials said.
The indictment was unsealed on Friday, June 7, 2019, with the accusations leading to the arrest of 77-year-old Zahida Aman, 51-year-old Mohammed Naumann Chaudhri, and 45-year-old Mohammed Rehan Chaudhri. The Midlothian, Virginia family are charged with conspiracy, forced labor, and document servitude.
The family is accused of between March 2002 and August 2014, forcing the victim, who was married to Aman’s son, to provide labor and services at their Midlothian home. The tasks included cleaning the house, painting the house, and mowing the lawn. The victim was allegedly subjected to physical, psychological, and verbal abuse. The defendants allegedly withheld food from the victim and restricted her communications with her family and neighbors. In addition, they confiscated her immigration and identification documents and even limited her access to her children, at times threatening to separate her from her children completely.
If convicted as charged in the indictment, each of the defendants will face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and will be required a mandatory restitution to the victim.
