A Filipino man and wife, who admitted to smuggling immigrants from the Philippines and forcing them to work in the couple’s elder-care business in Paso Robles, were sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on Monday, February 13.
Along with the prison sentence, United States District Judge Audrey B. Collins, also ordered Maximino “Max” Morales, 46, and his wife, Melinda Morales, 48, to pay $600,000 in restitution to the nine Filipino victims who were not properly paid for the work they performed.
“The Filipino victims in this case were lured to the United States with false promises and were essentially performing slave labor,” US Attorney André Birotte Jr. said in a statement.
Source: Inquirer Global Nation
News on Modern Day Slavery 