Couple plead guilty to harboring Moroccan woman

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — An Alexandria couple has pleaded guilty to alien harboring for illegally bringing a woman from Morocco into the U.S. and keeping her in their home as a servant.

Abdelkader and Hnia Amal entered their pleas Tuesday in federal court in Alexandria. In a plea deal, they agreed to pay $52,700 in restitution to the woman. They face a maximum of five years in prison at sentencing on July 1.

According to court records, from 2007 to 2010, the woman worked in their home and a commercial cleaning company run by Hnia Amal. Prosecutors say the woman was not paid for work she did for the cleaning company.

Authorities say Abdelkader Amal held a diplomatic visa as a military official in the Moroccan embassy in Washington. He retired in 2003.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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