United States of America v. Venkatesh Sattaru

St. Louis, Missouri, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of forced labor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1589.

Venkatesh Sattaru, 38, confiscated or concealed immigration paperwork while obtaining the labor or services of a person by means of serious harm or threats of serious harm and one count of theft of government funds. The victim is Sattaru’s cousin, an Indian national who arrived in St. Louis on Dec. 16, 2022. The victim lived in Sattaru’s O’Fallon home and was required to perform household chores, run errands and work in a company owned. In February 2023, Sattaru moved the victim into a home that was being renovated for eventual rental on Daniel Drive in O’Fallon. Around September 2023, Sattaru moved the victim into a different home being renovated on Highway D.

The Defendant was committed to the custody of the United States Bureau of Prisons to be imprisoned for a total term of: 50 months. This term consists of a term of 50 months on Count 1 and 12 months on Count 2, all such terms to run concurrently. This sentence includes an adjustment pursuant to USSG §5G1.3, to provide credit for the approximately 7 months the defendant has already served, from March 4, 2026, to October 8, 2026, under Docket No. 2311-CR04129-01, in Circuit Court, St. Charles County, Missouri. This sentence shall run concurrently with the balance of the sentence imposed under the above referenced case number. Upon release from imprisonment, the defendant shall be on supervised release for a term of: 3 years. This term consists of a term of three years on Count 1 and one year on Count 2, all such terms to run concurrently. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3663A, for Counts 1 and 2, full restitution has been paid as set forth on the record.