TRENTON, N.J. — An investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark resulted in the sentencing of a New Jersey woman for harboring two undocumented women from India and for failing to pay taxes on their wages.
A 27-month sentence was imposed on Harsha Sahni, 67, of Tinton Falls, New Jersey, on Oct. 28 at the U.S. District Court in Trenton. She previously pleaded guilty to an information charging her with one count of conspiracy to conceal and harbor aliens and one count of filing a false tax return.
“HSI Newark stands firm against those who exploit vulnerable individuals for personal gain,” said HSI Newark acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “For nearly a decade, the victims in this case were harbored, threatened, and denied a dignified living. We thank our partners at IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service for their invaluable collaboration in bringing this case to justice.”
According to the investigation, from 2013 through August 2021, Sahni conspired with others to conceal and harbor two foreign nationals from India, who Sahni recruited to work for Sahni and her family in their homes in New Jersey. Sahni harbored the victims for her and her conspirators’ financial gain and paid the victims’ families in India in exchange for their labor.
Sahni caused the victims to believe they would be arrested and deported if they interacted with law enforcement. Sahni instructed the victims to tell other people they were related to Sahni, and Sahni used fake names and addresses in furtherance of the conspiracy. Sahni also failed to pay certain taxes from 2013 to 2019, notwithstanding that the victims were Sahni’s household employees.
Sahni was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $728,327 and must also pay up to $200,000 for specific medical bills.
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