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New Jersey Woman Sentenced For Keeping Sri Lankan National As 'Slave'

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) - A woman has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for forcing a Sri Lankan national to work for her for nine years without pay and even marry her so her employee could stay in the country. Alia Imad Faleh Al Hunaity was also ordered Monday to pay $1.2 million in restitution and will have to serve three years of supervised release once she's freed.

Al Hunaity was convicted last May on charges of forced labor, harboring an alien for financial gain and forced marriage.

Prosecutors have said Al Hunaity brought the woman to the U.S. in 2009 and forced her to overstay her visa. They say Al Hunaity forced the woman to clean her house and care for her children, and also made her sleep in the kitchen and in other common areas of the house.

Al Hunaity also forced the victim to marry her so the victim could obtain legal residence.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press.

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