WE BEGIN TONIGHT ... WITH A CENTRAL COAST COUPLE ACCUSED OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING.. PROSECUTORS SAY THE GILROY COUPLE FORCED SEVERAL PEOPLE TO WORK IN THEIR LIQUOR STORES.. IN ONE CASE FORCING AN EMPLOYEE TO LIVE IN A STORAGE ROOM.. WITHOUT PAY.. THAT'S ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATORS.. ACTION NEWS EIGHT REPORTER FELIX CORTEZ IS LIVE IN GILROY WITH MORE ON HOW THESE ALLEGATIONS SURFACED.. ERIN.. PROSECUTORS SAY IT WAS A STATE INSPECTOR WHO NOTICED RED FLAGS AT THIS LIQUOR STORE BEHIND ME.. INVESTIGATORS SAY ONE EMPLOYEE WAS FORCED TO SLEEP ON MILK CRATES.. AND WASH HIMSELF WITH A BUCKET .. PROSECUTORS SAY THE GILROY OWNERS OF M AND M LIQUORS AND GAVILAN MARKET LURED THE ALLEGED VICTIM FROM INDIA WITH THE PROMISE OF TRAVELING AND FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE .. INSTEAD THEY'RE ACCUSED OF LOCKING THE MAN IN THE BACK OF THIS STORE WHERE HE WAS FORCED TO WORK AND LIVE FOR NEARLY HALF A YEAR ARRESTED WERE BELL- WIND-ER MANN AND HIS WIFE AMARJIT AH-MAR- JEET-.. BOTH 66 YEARS OLD.. IN COURT MONDAY ON CHARGES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, EXPLOITATION, AND WAGE THEFT.. INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY FORCED THE ALLEGED VICTIM TO WORK 15 HOUR DAYS, 7 DAYS A WEEK.. THREE OTHER EMPLOYEES WHO WORKED AT BOTH LIQUOR STORES WERE ALSO ALLEGEDLY CHEATED OF WAGES.. 150-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN ALL ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATORS.. PROSECUTORS SAY THE ALLEGATIONS WERE UNCOVERED EARLIER THIS YEAR.. WHEN AN AGENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL.. NOTICED RED FLAGS. AND PROSECUTORS SAY THIS CASE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.. NOT RULING OUT THERE MAY BE MORE VICTIMS.. AS FOR THE TWO DEFENDANTS.. THEY DID NOT ENTER PLEAS TODAY .. THEIR ARRAIGNMENT WAS CONTINUED TO TOMORROW A CONVICTION ON THE CHARGES COULD MEAN 18 YEARS IN PRISON FOR THE GILROY COUPLE.. ERIN.. #### IN THE MEANTIME THE COUPLE REMAIN IN THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY, THEIR BAIL SET AT 1- MILLION DOLLARS EACH.. ### NOW TO
Alcohol licenses revoked for Gilroy shop owners who allegedly enslaved employee
Updated: 2:09 PM PST Mar 4, 2021
Two Alcoholic Beverage Control licenses were revoked in Gilroy on Thursday following a 2020 investigation that uncovered human trafficking and slavery, investigators said. Husband and wife Amarjit and Balwinder Mann, both 66, locked a man in their liquor store, where he worked 15-hour shifts seven days a week, slept in a storage room, bathed in a mop bucket and was never paid, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office. They were arrested in November of 2020. On Thursday, March 4, 2021, ABC revoked the liquor license at M and M Liquor and Gavilan Market. In addition to the labor human trafficking charges, the Mann’s face multiple Penal Code violations, including wage theft, conspiracy, witness intimidation, and failing to maintain workers' compensation insurance. The criminal case involves as many as four victims, reported law enforcement on Thursday. The man who is believed to have been enslaved had come from India in 2019 expecting to travel to the U.S. with the couple. Instead, they took his money and passport and put him to work without pay or a key to leave the liquor store at night, reported the DA's office in November.
GILROY, Calif. — Two Alcoholic Beverage Control licenses were revoked in Gilroy on Thursday following a 2020 investigation that uncovered human trafficking and slavery, investigators said.
Husband and wife Amarjit and Balwinder Mann, both 66, locked a man in their liquor store, where he worked 15-hour shifts seven days a week, slept in a storage room, bathed in a mop bucket and was never paid, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office. They were arrested in November of 2020.
On Thursday, March 4, 2021, ABC revoked the liquor license at M and M Liquor and Gavilan Market.
In addition to the labor human trafficking charges, the Mann’s face multiple Penal Code violations, including wage theft, conspiracy, witness intimidation, and failing to maintain workers' compensation insurance. The criminal case involves as many as four victims, reported law enforcement on Thursday.
The man who is believed to have been enslaved had come from India in 2019 expecting to travel to the U.S. with the couple. Instead, they took his money and passport and put him to work without pay or a key to leave the liquor store at night, reported the DA's office in November.