Virginia man pleads guilty to harboring illegal immigrants

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors say a Virginia man has pleaded guilty to harboring illegal immigrants from Indonesia, keeping as many as 11 in his basement.

Soripada Lubis of Falls Church entered his plea to harboring illegal immigrants for commercial advantage and private financial gain yesterday. He will be sentenced May 15.

Lubis’ wife, Siti Chadidjah Siregar, a citizen of Indonesia, pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal agents.

According to court documents, the couple had kept undocumented Indonesian women in their basement since 2000. The women would live with and work as housekeepers for families in Potomac, Md. During the weekends, they lived in Lubis and Siregar’s basement, sometimes sleeping three to a bed.

Lubis and Siregar charged the women rent, transportation and fees ostensibly for taxes and to send money to Indonesia.