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Couple Charged with Enslaving Their Nanny

Chudy and Sandra Nsobundu of Katy, Texas have been charged with multiple crimes following their Nigerian nanny’s claims that she’s been enslaved by the couple for the past two years. Initially, the Nsobundu’s agreed to pay the unidentified 38-year-old woman 20,000 Nigerian nairas – $100 U.S. dollars per month, but they’ve never paid the victim for any of her work here in the U.S. She allegedly worked every day from 5:30 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. and was responsible maintaining the cleanliness of the home, cooking every meal and taking care of five children. The criminal complaint alleges she was told she could not watch television or even sit down during her work hours. She was also allegedly told to sleep on the floor and she was not allowed to shower with hot water nor wash her hair. The affidavit also claims that she’s only eaten the scrapes of the family’s left over food. If she wanted milk, the victim reportedly had to strain it from the Nsobundu children’s left over cereal bowls. Authorities say they rescued the woman, who had not been allowed to contact her family, in October 2015 after someone submitted a tip to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. If convicted of forced labor, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison. Justice.gov

Convicted Murderer Recaptured After Accidental Release

A clerical error caused a convicted murder to be set free in Los Angeles. In 2011, Steven Lawrence Wright, a known gang member of the Altadena Blocc Crips, was convicted in murdering a 47-year-old man who was allegedly apart of a rival gang. In 2014, the conviction was overturned. While Wright was awaiting the preliminary hearing in his new trial, a clerk had written the incorrect case number associated with his murder on one of his forms which resulted in his release. Though the subsequent documents on adjoining pages were correct, three officers failed to catch the initial error. “It’s not like it’s really an escape. It’s our mistake,” said Sgt. Tim Duerr, a longtime investigator in the Major Crimes Bureau, which was tasked with finding Wright. A $20,000 reward helped lead police to the 37-year-old who was unarmed and recovered without incident from a Boulder City, NV hotel. “I guess he had time to watch the Super Bowl,” Duerr said. Yahoo News

Predominantly white Maryland County bans all school field trips to Baltimore

Following the death of Freddie Gray and subsequent political unrest in Baltimore, the Maryland city of Harford has banned all non-sports related field trips for their students. City leaders have responded that the ban is misguided and reinforces negative stereotypes. Jillian Lader, the spokeswoman for Harford schools said that the ban was based on, “…information acquired from various law enforcement agencies…following the riots and relating to potential issues that may occur during the first and subsequent trials.” After the riots of April 27, 2015, school systems around the region canceled field trips to Baltimore which have since resumed. When the trial for the first officer in the death of Gray began in December, the Harford school district reinstated their policy which they claim to review on a weekly basis based on improvements to the climate of the city.”To deprive students the chance to experience these amazing assets is short-sighted and uninformed” said Democratic State Sen.Bill Ferguson. Baltimore Sun

FBI Arrests All But One City Council Member In Texas

In Crystal City, a small Texas town of 7,500 people, just one city council member showed up at work on Friday. The other five members of the council had been arrested and are facing felony bribery charges. The FBI apprehended the mayor, Tempore Rogelio Mata, a council member, the city manager and a former city council member for allegedly taking thousands of dollars of bribes and aiding an illegal gambling operation. Other city council members gave a new city manager with no prior experience a salary that was half of the city’s budget. Subsequently, Crystal City is nearly $2 million in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy. If found guilty, the city officials could face as much as 10 years in prison. The Washington Post

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