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Deputy District Attorney Geoffrey Lewin said defendants Astati Halim (dob 7/22/59) and Hendra Anwar (4/26/53) pleaded not guilty in case BA435175. Halim and Anwar are charged with three counts each of human trafficking and one count each of conspiracy to commit a crime.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge William Ryan ordered the defendants to return for a pretrial hearing on May 8 in Department 124 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Bail was set at $300,000 for each defendant.
Between May 2010 and September 2013, Halim and Anwar allegedly conspired with others in Indonesia to transport the women under false pretenses and misrepresented facts to embassy officials for the purpose of obtaining travel documents for the victims.
Once in Los Angeles County, Halim and Anwar purportedly took away the victims’ passports and forced the women to work at two Hancock Park homes and one Beverly Hills property. The defendants own all of the properties where the victims worked.
Halim and Anwar originally were charged in May 2014 by the District Attorney’s Organized Crimes Division in case BA423657. That case was dismissed following arraignment on the superseding indictment.
The alleged crimes came to light following a seven-month investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division and the FBI. If convicted as charged, Halim and Anwar each face up to 17 years in state prison.
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About the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey leads the largest local prosecutorial office in the nation. Her staff of nearly 1,000 attorneys, 300 investigators and 800 support staff members is dedicated to seeking justice for victims of crime and enhancing public safety. Last year, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted more than 71,000 felony defendants and nearly 112,000 misdemeanor defendants.
Contact:
Shiara Dávila-Morales, Media Chief
(213) 974-3525
SDavila-morales (at) da.lacounty (dot) gov
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