Lawsuit: Water Mill Couple Forced Woman Into Slavery

In a lawsuit filed in federal court last week, a Water Mill couple is accused of effectively enslaving an Indonesian woman after promising her a 9-to-5 job, according to several published reports.

In her lawsuit, Ni Ketut Sulastri claims that Lawrence and Rose Halsey offered her a job at their children's shoe business, but then forced her to work 15 hours a day, seven days a week at the business and in their Halsey Lane home, Business Insider reports. The Halseys are also accused of taking away Sulastri's passport, not allowing her to call home, and telling her she would have to pay them $3,000 if she left, The New York Post reports.

She was paid just $350 per month and given a room the size of a closet to live in, according to the lawsuit, Business Insider reports.

The Halseys did not immediately return a phone message from Patch Tuesday afternoon requesting comment.

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