Opinion ID: 815523
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Dupe’s Forced Labor

Text: After Laome’s escape, Bello needed someone else to care for her home and T., so she returned to Nigeria and recruited Olayemia Shorinola (“Dupe”).2 Dupe also came from modest means, but she knew a little English from school. Again, Bello promised Dupe’s father that she would treat Dupe like family and put her 2 The superseding indictment identifies Olayemia Shorinola as “O.S.” Trial transcripts and the jury instructions refer to her by the nickname “Dupe,” which we also adopt for ease of reference. 5 Case: 11-15054 Date Filed: 01/17/2013 Page: 6 of 14 through school in America in exchange for Dupe’s care for T., who was then about three years old. Bello also told Dupe’s father that Dupe would be expected to help out around the house a little. Dupe’s care for T. was intended to be rendered in exchange for Bello’s providing Dupe with an education. Bello used false information and documents to bring Dupe illegally into the United States in the fall of 2004. Upon arrival at Bello’s home, Bello put Dupe to work and required her to constantly busy herself with housework, yard work, and childcare. Dupe usually began working around 5:00 in the morning and was not permitted to rest or have a day off. If T. woke up during the night, Dupe had to care for her. Bello did no childcare or chores herself. As with Laome, Dupe was not allowed to use available appliances for her chores. Once, when Bello learned that Dupe used the washing machine and caused it to malfunction, Bello slapped her. Bello frequently slapped, hit, beat, and cursed Dupe. She insulted Dupe’s family, called her stupid, a witch, and a slave. When Dupe fled from Bello’s abuse, Bello would just corner her against a wall and then beat her more. More than once, Bello caused Dupe to bleed. Usually the beatings were for what Bello deemed unsatisfactory job performance, but at other times, Bello beat Dupe for accidents and mistakes, or for standing up for herself by talking back to Bello. 6 Case: 11-15054 Date Filed: 01/17/2013 Page: 7 of 14 Dupe showed marks on her face to people at Bello’s church and told them that Bello beat her. Dupe was required to sleep on the floor and bathe with a bucket, even though the house had spare bedrooms and bathrooms. Bello forced Dupe to cut her hair short, against her wishes. Dupe could not eat the food she prepared for Bello; rather, Bello bought Dupe cheap foods that were about to expire. On one occasion, Bello forced Dupe to eat spoiled leftovers. Like Laome, Dupe was not given a key to the house or a cell phone. She could not go outside without Bello’s permission. Bello tried harder to isolate Dupe than she tried with Laome, forbidding Dupe from speaking to people at her church. Like Laome, Dupe had no other contacts in America, and Bello did not allow Dupe to contact or be contacted by her family in Nigeria. Dupe did not believe there was anything she could do about her situation. Dupe believed that Bello had powerful friends in government in Nigeria who could have her or her parents arrested. As with Laome, Bello told Dupe that American law enforcement would put Dupe in jail or send her back to Nigeria if she ever called the police. Bello never paid Dupe or her family, and she never sent Dupe to school as promised. Eventually, in the spring of 2006, Dupe escaped Bello’s home, using money given to her by Bello’s friends to call a taxi. 7 Case: 11-15054 Date Filed: 01/17/2013 Page: 8 of 14