Chudy, 56, and Sandra, 50 were arrested in Katy, Texas and have been arraigned before local magistrate Judge Nancy Johnson. This follows the filing of a criminal complaint alleging the withholding of documents, visa fraud, forced labour and conspiracy to harbour an illegal alien.
Apparently, the couple forced their nanny, a 38-year-old Nigerian woman to work as a personal slave, making her look after their five adopted children without pay. While the nanny worked as a slave, she was subjected to bizarre abuses, including making her strain leftover milk from cereal bowls to use in her tea and in one instance, she was beaten because she dressed the couple’s child in the wrong pair of socks.
One source said: “In 2012, Sandra allegedly contacted the victim, who was living in Lagos, Nigeria, at the time, through a mutual friend and asked her if she would come to the United States to care for her adopted children.
“The Nsobundus have five children, aged 21, nine and two three-year olds and the victim signed a contract to perform the duties, for which she believed she would earn $100 a month, and soon travelled to Texas using fraudulent identification documents allegedly paid for by the Nsobundus.”
Apparently, the victim told investigators with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement that she worked from 5.30am. to 1am every day and was not allowed to watch TV or even sit down during her workday. She was also not allowed to eat fresh food, only leftovers and could not even use fresh milk for her tea.
It appears that throughout her two years enslaved in the Nsobundu household, the couple would often refer to the house help as the idiot. Apart from subjecting her to cruel torture, it was also alleged that Sandra would physically abuse her.
“The Nsobundus then allegedly told the complainant that they would shoot her and kill her for not taking care of the kids the way they wanted her to. In October 2015, the woman called her bank in Nigeria and found out she had not been paid since she arrived in America, prompting her to seek help escaping from the household.
“Subsequently, the victim was rescued October 10, 2015, after more than two years with the Nsobundus' in the US, following a tip to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. If convicted of forced labour, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison,” the source added.
In the US, the maximum penalty for visa fraud is a 25-year-federal prison term, while for withholding document, harbouring conspiracy, the possible punishment may be up to a maximum of 10 years upon conviction. All of the charges could also result in a $250,000 maximum fine.
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