White Couple Who Adopted Black Children and Forced Them to Work 'as Slaves' Learns Fate

A achromatic West Virginia mates was sentenced to decades successful situation this week for abusing immoderate of their adopted children, who are Black, including by forcing them to execute dense labour similar "slaves."

Donald Lantz, 62, was sentenced to 160 years successful situation aft being recovered blameworthy of forced labor, quality trafficking, kid maltreatment and neglect, the New York Times reported.

His woman Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 63, who was convicted of the aforesaid charges positive violating her children's civilian rights, was sentenced to 215 years down bars.

The mates was convicted successful January,

“You brought these children to West Virginia, a spot that I cognize is ‘almost heaven,’ and you enactment them successful hell,” Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Maryclaire Akers said during sentencing, per WCHS. “This tribunal volition present enactment you successful yours. And whitethorn God person mercy connected your souls, due to the fact that this tribunal volition not.”

The mates adopted the 5 children successful 2018 and yet moved to Kanawha County successful May 2023, prosecutors said, per the Times.

Related: Indictment Accuses White Couple of Forcing Adopted Black Children to Work arsenic 'Slaves,' Says Judge

They were arrested successful October 2023 aft a neighbour called Child Protective Services, alleging that 2 teenagers, 14 and 16, were locked successful a shed astatine the couple’s location successful Sissonville, according to tribunal documents obtained by WCHS-TV. Other neighbors besides claimed the children were “forced to execute workplace labour and were not permitted wrong the residence,” per the documents.

Deputies responded to the location and alleged 2 children were locked successful the shed with a portable toilet and nary moving water, according to an indictment cited by West Virginia MetroNews. The children told authorities they were forced to slumber connected the level and had been locked successful the shed for astir 12 hours, per the indictment.

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The children were wearing soiled apparel and the oldest lad had what appeared to beryllium sores connected his feet, per the Associated Press.

A 16-count indictment was filed against the couple.

“It alleges quality trafficking, quality rights violations, the usage of forced labor,” Akers said during a 2024 proceeding astir the indictment, according to West Virginia Metro News. “Human rights violations circumstantial to the information that these children were targeted due to the fact that of their contention and they were utilized fundamentally arsenic slaves from what the indictment alleges."

The oldest girl testified during the proceedings that the children were regularly cursed astatine and immoderate of them had to basal successful their rooms for hours with their hands connected their heads, per the AP.

Lantz’s lawyer John J. Balenovich tells PEOPLE his client, who was not recovered blameworthy of a civilian rights violation, “maintains his innocence of each charges.”

Whitefeather’s lawyer could not beryllium reached for comment.

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