Crime & Safety

DA’s Office Investigating Charges Against New City Mother & Son

New charges by Ramapo Police against members of family that was involved in "modern day slavery" case

 

The Rockland County District Attorney’s Office is looking into the latest charges filed against members of the Jagota family of New City by the Ramapo Police Department.

Assistant District Attorney Arthur Ferraro said, “It’s still under investigation to determine if additional crimes were committed.”

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Ferraro said he could not divulge if the victim or the three-year-old child involved in the Ramapo incident were related to the Jagota family. 

Ramapo Police arrested , in connection with complaints filed on Friday by a 32-year-old unidentified woman that she was a victim of crimes committed by them. Vikas Jagota was charged with Assault in the second degree, Criminal Mischief in the fourth degree and Endangering the Welfare of a child. Parveen Jagota was arrested and charged with Criminal Mischief in the fourth degree.

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Parveen Jagota is scheduled to be sentenced on January 29 in Rockland County Court by Judge William Nelson on charges of three counts of Labor Trafficking in the Second Degree, class “D” felonies, one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a class “A” misdemeanor and one count of Assault in the Second Degree, a class “D” felony.

In 2011, a Rockland County grand jury indicted four members of the Jagota family on labor trafficking charges related to the use of intimidation, threats and physical violence to force a 20‐year‐old woman into a life of servitude and sexual abuse. The woman was brought to the United States in 2008 for an arranged marriage with Vishal Jagota, son of Parveen Jagota.

At that time, District Attorney Thomas Zugibe described the woman’s situation.

"Simply put, this is a tragic case of modern-day slavery," said Zugibe. "The victim was physically assaulted, psychologically coerced and fearful of reporting the often-daily abuse to authorities.”

Ferraro said Vishal Jagota had been sentenced to three years probation. 31, the daughter of Parveen and sibling of Vikas and Vishal, was sentenced last year to two years and one-to-three years in state prison.

In the Ramapo incident, Vikas Jagota allegedly forced the victim's hand through the glass door of a cabinet, struck a child and prevented the victim from calling police. He was arraigned in the Town of Ramapo Justice Court and remanded to Rockland County Jail.

Parveen Jagota reportedly prevented the alleged victim from calling police on another occasion. She was released after posting $3,500 ba


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