Case Explained: FinalOpinion in case# 24-2977

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit Filed: 2026-08-13 The seventh-circuit affirmed the convictions and sentences of three defendants—Nawomi Awoga, Marina Oke, and Assiba Lea Fandohan—for conspiracy to harbor unauthorized aliens, harboring unauthorized aliens in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A)(iii), and forced labor in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1589. The court held that the evidence presented at trial was sufficient to support the jury’s guilty verdicts, rejecting the defendants’ arguments regarding the credibility of the two minor victims who testified about being lured from Benin under false pretenses and subsequently subjected to physical abuse, forced labor, and confinement. Applying a de novo standard of review for sufficiency of the evidence, the court emphasized that it must view the trial record in the light most favorable to the verdict and defer to the jury’s credibility determinations, noting that any inconsistencies in the victims’ testimonies were fully aired during vigorous cross-examination and did not render the testimony incredible as a matter of law. The court further found that the evidence reasonably supported an inference that the defendants intended to shield the victims from detection by authorities through acts such as providing false travel documents, instructing the girls to hide from law enforcement, and restricting their movement. Regarding the sentences, the court applied an abuse of discretion standard under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) and found no error in the district court’s imposition of terms ranging from 80 to 102 months, which were either within or below the applicable Sentencing Guidelines ranges. The appellate court concluded that the district judge adequately considered all relevant sentencing factors, including the defendants’ lack of criminal history and age, while balancing them against aggravating circumstances such as the number of minor victims, the duration of the criminal conduct, and the defendants’ leadership roles. The court specifically rejected the argument that “cultural norms” from Benin should mitigate culpability, stating that by choosing to reside in the United States, the defendants subjected themselves to American laws. As a result of this decision, the judgments of conviction and the imposed prison terms remain in effect, and the defendants must serve their sentences followed by three years of supervised release. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.