The woman sentenced to nearly six years behind bars is from Jordan—another ‘new American’ who comes from a culture where this sort of treatment of people of lesser stature is accepted?
N.J. woman who forced Sri Lankan woman to work as nanny, housekeeper for no pay is sentenced to nearly 6 years in prison
A federal judge in Camden on Tuesday sentenced a North Jersey woman to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for forcing a Sri Lankan woman to work as a nanny and housekeeper in her homes for almost a decade without pay.
Alia Imad Faleh Al Hunaity, a.k.a. Alia Al Qaternah, 44, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Jordan, had brought the victim, a Sri Lankan national, to the United States on a temporary visa in 2009 to perform domestic work. Hunaity caused the victim to overstay her visa and remain in the United States illegally for more than nine years, federal prosecutors have said.
Hunaity, a cancer research scientist, was convicted by a federal jury in Camden in May on charges of forced labor, alien harboring for financial gain, and marriage fraud. She had forced the victim to cook and clean her homes in Woodland Park and Secaucus and to care for her three children, all without pay, prosecutors have said.
In 2018, Hunaity forced the woman — who was not identified in court — to marry her so that the woman could obtain legal residence and continue to work for her, authorities have said.
Hunaity also “forced the victim into a sham marriage” with Hunaity that brought the victim shame, Kugler said.
Hunaity, who worked in New York, has not been in custody. She was ordered to surrender at a date to be determined by the Bureau of Prisons and to pay the woman $1.2 million in restitution. In addition, the judge sentenced Hunaity to three years’ supervised release after the prison term.
So, that’s the penalty for SLAVERY, just 5 years and 10 months? (Which typically means 2-3 years tops anyway) Evidently the government thinks it’s not so bad. Or are they just going easy on her because it’s part of her “culture”?
So, that’s the penalty for SLAVERY, just 5 years and 10 months? (Which typically means 2-3 years tops anyway) Evidently the government thinks it’s not so bad. Or are they just going easy on her because it’s part of her “culture”?