Local Doctor Sentenced To Prison For Harboring Undocumented Workers

TINTON FALLS – A Monmouth County doctor has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for harboring two undocumented women from India as well as failing to pay taxes on their wages, officials said.

Harsha Sahni, 68, of Tinton Falls, previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to conceal and harbor aliens and one count of filing a false tax return.

Officials said Sahni conspired with others to conceal and harbor two foreign nationals from India from 2013 through August 2021 who she recruited to work for herself and her family in their homes.

“Sahni harbored the victims for her and her conspirators’ financial gain and paid the victims’ families in India in exchange for their labor,” officials said.

Sahni convinced the victims they would be arrested and deported if they interacted with law enforcement.

In order to hide their identity, Sahni instructed the victims to tell other people that they were related to Sahni, and Sahni used fake names and addresses in furtherance of the conspiracy.

Additionally, Sahni also failed to pay certain taxes from 2013 to 2019, notwithstanding that the victims were Sahni’s household employees.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Sahni to two years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $728,327. The defendant must also pay up to $200,000 for specific medical bills.