Domestic ServitudeArchive 2008–2016

Domestic Servitude in Upper Marlboro, Maryland (2011)

A domestic servitude case from 2011 in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, United States.

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Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). We don’t have a verifiable source on file yet. Know one?

What happened

According to a recent federal indictment, Alfred Edwards, 73, and Gloria Edwards, 60, both of Upper Marlboro, Md.,forced a Filipina woman to work for them, threatening and assaulting her. The couple enticed the victim to come to the United States to work as their domestic servant, according to the five-count indictment. The woman was an impoverished, uneducated, mother of eight, officials stated. The defendants promised her a salary that would support her children in the Philippines. According to the indictment, the defendants gained a false visa for the woman, and confiscated her documents after she arrived. They forced her to work for 13 hours a day for ten years, using a scheme of threats, assaults, withholding of documents, withholding of pay, and a peonage contract to coerce the victim’s continued service.

Response and intervention

Federal indictment. The defendants are also charged with immigration violations. If convicted, they each face a maximum sentence of up to 50 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. An indictment is not evidence of guilt. Mechanism of intervention was unreported. Neighbors of the couple said they had no idea a servant lived with the family. Emanicipation and aftercare, if any, unreported.

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Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016