SACRAMENTO, Calif.: A Northern California couple pleaded guilty Tuesday to forcing a Guatemalan relative and her two daughters to work long hours under poor conditions while keeping the girls out of school with threats that they would be deported.
Nery Martinez Vasquez and his wife, Maura Martinez, both age 53 and both of Shasta Lake, near Redding, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit forced labor.
Both are naturalized U.S. citizens originally from Guatemala who promised their relative a “better life” if she came to America in September 2016, federal prosecutors said.
Instead, they forced the family members to overstay their visas and work long hours for little to no pay at their restaurant, called Latinos, and at their Redding Carpet Cleaning & Janitorial Services, which served area businesses including multiple car dealerships.
This case highlights how the dream of coming to the United States to begin a new, promising life can become a nightmare, Sean Ragan, special agent in…
