NY - Rexford woman re-indicted in domestic slave case

Published: Wednesday, August 01, 2012

By GLENN GRIFFITH



BALLSTON  SPA — Rexford resident Annie George, 708 Riverview Road, Rexford, was re-indicted Wednesday by the U.S. attorneys office in Albany on one count of harboring an illegal alien for financial gain. An arraignment before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Gary Sharpe was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Thursday in federal court in Albany.

George, 39, also known as Sajimol George, is accused of harboring a woman from India who did not possess a valid work permit and using her as a domestic and babysitter for nearly six years. The re-indictment and arraignment was the result of quick work by U.S. assistant attorney Richard Belliss. Belliss went before a grand jury Wednesday to counter the dismissal of the original indictment which came from Sharpe Monday.

Sharpe agreed with a motion made July 18 by George’s attorney Mark Sacco that the case against George had exceeded the 70 day limit required for a speedy trial.

The one count indictment carries a maximum fine of $250,000, 10 years in prison, and forfeiture of property if it was found to be used in the act of committing a crime. Belliss said late Wednesday that as part of of the re-indictment a forfeiture allegation was submitted by the government for the 30,000-square-foot Riverview Road property.

“The government has alleged the residence was used to harbor an illegal alien for personal gain,” he said. “The property is owned by an LLC (limited liability company) and the government believes Ms. George has an ownership in that LLC.”

George, 39 was arrested in February 2012 for having the woman identified in court documents only as “V.M.” working in her home for nearly six years. The family has lived at the Rexford residence since 2008.

George is the widow of Mathai Kolath George who was killed with his son when their small airplane crashed in the Mohawk River in 2009. The family was living at Llenroc, the mansion home built by the late Albert Lawrence in 2000. In his July filing asking the court to dismiss the case, Sacco asked that an order to dismiss be given with prejudice, preventing the government from re-presenting the case to another grand jury. On Monday judge Sharpe dismissed the earlier indictment but did so without prejudice allowing the government to call another grand jury and present their case. Belliss did exactly that on Wednesday.

The investigation into the status of the illegal alien began after a tip to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. It resulted in the May 2011 removal from the home of “V.M.” by a team of agents from Immigration Customs Enforcement Homeland Security. George was arrested in February 2012 on a complaint made to the U.S. attorney’s office from an investigator who helped free “V.M.” from the home.

The complaint said George was violating two sections of the U.S. code by encouraging an illegal to reside in the U.S. and for aiding and abetting that person. The case expanded to include the agreed upon wages George was to pay the woman for her domestic help and her hours worked. George was indicted in April on one count of harboring an illegal alien for financial gain.

In statements made to immigration officials after her removal from the Rexford home “V.M.” said she had been hired by the family as a domestic and baby sitter in 2005. She was was to be paid off the books with some money going to family members in India.

By 2011 “V.M.” said she was a virtual prisoner in the home and unable to leave the country due to the lack of a valid passport and visa. In papers filed with the court, George’s attorney said “V.M.” has condemned his client to secure permanent legal status in the U.S.
Rexford woman re-indicted in domestic slave case - News - Community News (cnweekly.com)