Ambassador Fined for Underpaying Housekeeper at Englewood Home

The ambassador to the United States from the island nation of Mauritius was fined $5,000 Monday for underpaying a housekeeper hired to work at his former Englewood home, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman announced.

Somduth Soborun, 61, pleaded guilty in September to failing to pay a worker he brought from the Philippines minimum wage and overtime wages from December 2008 through August 2009. Soborun, who now lives in Washington D.C., must also pay the housekeeper $24,153 in restitution.

Soborun obtained a visa for the woman, identified in court papers as C.V., to work in his home, prosecutors said.  She did cleaning, laundry, ironing and took care of the family dog, usually for 12 hours a day on six-day workweeks.

“Although Soborun signed a contract which provided for an hourly wage as well as for overtime pay for any hours exceeding 40 per week, Soborun only paid C.V. $1,000 per month, regardless of how many hours she worked each month,” a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.