Sabhnani Couple Found Guilty Of Slavery

A jury convicted a wealthy couple of enslaving two Indonesian women they brought to their New York mansion to work as housekeepers, subjecting them to repeated psychological and physical abuse and forcing them to work 18 hours or more a day.

Indian-born Mahender Murlidhar Sabhnani, 51, and his wife, Indonesian-born Varsha Mahender Sabhnani, 45, were each convicted of all charges in a 12-count federal indictment that included forced labor, conspiracy, involuntary servitude and harboring aliens.

One of the couple's daughters fainted in the front row as the verdict was read, prompting the judge to clear the courtroom while medical personnel attended to her.

The Sabhnanis, who have four children and operate a worldwide perfume business out of their home, could face up to 40 years in prison, although attorneys predicted the punishment would be considerably less.

They spent nearly three months in jail following their arrest before a judge approved a bail package that required the couple to post $US4.5 million ($5.23 million) and pay an estimated $US10,000 ($11,630) a day for round-the-clock security monitoring while they were kept under house arrest.

Prosecutors argued that the Sabhnanis were a flight risk.