Nigerian woman living in Ga. convicted on federal charges of human trafficking

• THE ASSOCIATED PRESS  
• First Posted: June 11, 2011 - 1:15 pm
  Last Updated: June 11, 2011 - 1:15 pm

ATLANTA — A federal jury has convicted a Nigerian woman accused of luring young women from her country to work in her Georgia home as nannies, then used them as modern-day slaves.
Bidemi Bello of Suwanee, Ga., was convicted on two counts each of forced labor, trafficking for forced labor and making false statements in an application to become a U.S. citizen, and one count each of document servitude and alien harboring.
During the week-long trial, federal prosecutors argued Bello offered to bring the women as nannies, telling them she would pay for their education in the U.S. Prosecutors said Bello verbally and physically abused the women. Both women eventually escaped.
Sentencing for Bello is set for Aug. 24. Voicemail and e-mail messages left with Bello's attorney were not immediately returned