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House Arrest For Couple Accused Of Keeping Slaves

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Aug 21, 2007 7:44 pm US/Eastern

House Arrest For Couple Accused Of Keeping Slaves

Swanky L.I. Home Turned Into Pseudo-Max Security Prison

by Sean Hennessey
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (CBS) ― The tables have been turned on a wealthy Long Island couple accused of keeping slaves.

CBS 2 HD has learned they're now out of jail on $4.5 million bail, but their fancy house has been turned into their very own prison.

As the accused slave laborers walked out of federal court locked in the arms of their lawyer, the home of Varsha and Mahender Sabhnani was being given a makeover under the watchful eye of the feds, who will carefully monitor the home confinement of a couple with financial resources in the millions

"They are just now relieved," friend Bharet Jotwni said. "That's all it is. They are just happy to be home with their kids."

Neither the couple nor their children said a word about the past three months that had seen the two behind bars, accused of keeping two Indonesian women as slaves inside their home, often forcing the two to stay in a closet.

They are now wondering how they can get back any credibility in their community.

The couple's lawyer says that's their big question. After the stunning arrest that occurred after one of the alleged slaves was found pleading for help outside a Dunkin Donuts back in May

"This has turned the justice system onto its head," attorney Jeffrey Hoffman said. "The government has jailed these people who've been convicted of nothing and are presumed innocent."

But in recent months authorities say family members of the couple have tried to bribe at least one of the women into not pressing charges.

Meanwhile, home confinement here won't be a picnic. The couple will wear electronic monitoring bracelets, their phones will be tapped, their computer use limited and they've got to hire a court-appointed security team to watch their every move at a cost of about $10,000 per day.

The trial for the Sabhnani's is scheduled to begin in October.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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