Virginia Man and Woman Charged with Committing Forced Labor and Alien Harboring at Gas Station and Convenience Store for Multiple Years

A federal grand jury in Richmond, Virginia, returned a seven-count indictment today charging a Virginia couple with forced labor, conspiracy to commit forced labor, alien harboring for financial gain and document servitude along with fraud-related charges – conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud and fraudulent transfers in contemplation of bankruptcy – in connection with their operation of a gas station and convenience store in North Chesterfield, Virginia.

According to the court documents, between March 2018 and May 2021, Harmanpreet Singh, 30, and Kulbir Kaur, 42, allegedly forced the victim to provide labor and services at Singh’s store, including working as the cashier, preparing food, cleaning and managing store records. The indictment alleges that the defendants used various coercive means, including confiscating the victim’s immigration documents and subjecting the victim to physical abuse, threats of force and other serious harm and, at times, degrading living conditions, to compel him to work long hours for minimal pay. The indictment further alleges that the defendants harbored the victim after his visa expired for financial gain and committed bankruptcy-related fraud offenses.

The charge of forced labor carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Richmond Field Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.

Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.