Opinion ID: 815523
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Laome’s Forced Labor

Text: First, Bello recruited Olawunmi Olatunbosun (“Laome”), a 17 year old from a very poor family in Nigeria.1 Laome spoke no English. Bello promised Laome and her father that if Laome worked as Bello’s nanny, Bello would pay her a monthly salary, send money to the family in Nigeria, and allow Laome to attend school in America. Bello brought Laome to the United States illegally in October 2001 where she lived with Bello in a large home outside of Atlanta. Bello required Laome to cook, clean, and complete daily household chores in addition to caring for T., Bello’s baby. Bello denied Laome access to available tools at the home that would speed her work, such as a lawnmower, vacuum cleaner, washing machine, or dishwasher. Instead, Bello required Laome to cut the grass by hand, sweep the carpet with a broom, and hand-wash dishes, clothes, and diapers. Bello demanded that Laome clean the bathrooms and a backyard fence daily, regardless of whether they were dirty. Laome did these tasks while 1 The superseding indictment identifies Olawunmi Olatunbosun as “O.O.” Trial transcripts and the jury instructions refer to her by the nickname “Laome,” which we also adopt for ease of reference. 3 Case: 11-15054 Date Filed: 01/17/2013 Page: 4 of 14 simultaneously caring for T; thus, Laome often carried the baby with her on her back. Laome was also responsible for caring for T. during the night if T. cried. If Laome permitted T. to cry, Bello would beat Laome. When she was at home, Bello never contributed to household upkeep or the care of her child. Over the two and a half years that Laome worked for Bello, Bello never paid her directly, although she did send a total of $300 to Laome’s parents. Laome never attended school as Bello promised. Bello secured Laome’s obedience and labor by abusing Laome and threatening her. If household chores did not satisfy Bello, she hit and beat Laome with the back of her hand, a shoe, a wooden spoon, an extension cord, a belt, a hanger, a broom, or any item close at hand. On occasion, Bello stood on Laome’s stomach while beating her. She also threatened to beat and kill Laome or send her to jail in Nigeria. Bello told Laome that if she answered the door or talked to the neighbors, the police would take Laome to jail. Laome believed all of Bello’s threats. Bello further abused Laome by calling her dumb, stupid, poor, dirty, ugly, demonic, a slave, a witch, and a bitch. Bello took Laome with her to her church and told her church pastor that Laome was a witch. Bello required Laome to sleep on the couch, even though the home had extra bedrooms. Bello forbid Laome from using any of the home’s bathtubs, and 4 Case: 11-15054 Date Filed: 01/17/2013 Page: 5 of 14 instead, required Laome to bathe with a bucket. Bello dressed Laome in her old clothes and underwear, cut her hair short against her wishes, and gave her no privacy, requiring her to change clothes in a hallway near a closet where Laome kept her belongings. Bello did not feed Laome well and often forced her to eat old, moldy food. If Laome threw up the food, Bello made her eat her vomit. Laome could not go and come from the house as she pleased. She had no cell phone, keys to Bello’s home, or personal money. Laome made no friends of her own in the United States. After Laome told Bello that Laome’s father called the house, Bello beat and kicked her for hours and forced her to stand naked for a day with one hand and one foot on the ground and the other foot in the air. Eventually, in May 2004, Laome escaped Bello’s home with the assistance of two of Bello’s friends who observed the abuse.