Nebraska Motel Managers Plead Guilty to Enslaving Immigrant
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal authorities say two motel managers enslaved an Indian immigrant for more than a year in western Nebraska, forcing him to work without pay and abusing him.
Vishnubhai Chaudhari, 50, and 44-year-old Leelabahen Chaudhari pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday to conspiracy and alien harboring for financial gain.
The two were managers of a Super 8 Motel in Kimball, a town near the Wyoming and Colorado borders. Investigators say the pair forced the man to work for them, and that all three were illegally living in the U.S.
The U.S. Justice Department says a motel guest and local law enforcement helped the man escape. The department declined to say what happened to the victim, citing privacy concerns.
The Chaudharis will be sentenced March 19.