Topeka restaurant owner sentenced to 18 months

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- A Topeka restaurant owner has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison of harboring illegal immigrants to work for him.

Amarpreet Singh, owner of the Globe Restaurant, was sentenced this week to three 18-month terms but will serve them at the same time. The 34-year-old was convicted in April of three counts of harboring unauthorized workers.

Prosecutors had claimed Singh mistreated the workers and kept them in line through abuse, arguing he should receive up to 33 months in prison. But U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia rejected efforts to enhance Singh's sentence and went with the low end of the possible range.

Murguia did order Singh to also pay more than $55,000 in penalties.

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Information from: The Topeka Capital-Journal, http://www.cjonline.com