 PLEA AGREEMENT REACHED IN CASE AGAINST BERKELEY LANDLORD
As part of a plea bargain, the brother and sister-in-law of Lakireddy Bali Reddy, a Berkeley, California landlord who has been accused of importing girls from India for cheap labor and forced sex, have admitted that they submitted fraudulent documents to the INS to obtain work visas for at least six people. They each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud. They will be sentenced this summer. The maximum possible sentence is five years, but prosecutors are recommending sentences between six to 16 months.
Reddy himself will also enter a guilty plea to two counts of transporting minors for illegal sexual purposes. As part of the deal, he will pay million to four young women, whose identities are being kept secret because of their age. As the offense is considered a violent crime, Reddy could be incarcerated until he is sentenced later this year. His attorneys plan to argue that he is not a flight risk and that he needs to be out of prison so that he can secure the money for reparations.
Reddy came to the US almost 40 years ago, and eventually became one of the wealthiest landlords in the Berkeley area. According to prosecutors, he arranged for the fraudulent entry into the US of as many as 50 Indian nationals, who he placed in positions in construction and at his chain of Indian restaurants. It is not yet known whether Reddy will plea to these charges, or only the sex related ones.
Two of Reddy’s sons have also been charged with immigration fraud. Unlike the others, they have not entered a plea bargain, and will go to trial later this year.
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