ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. — A judge denied the bond reduction for three men in St. Charles County accused of trafficking a 20-year-old Indian man.
Venkatesh Sattaru, Nikhil Penmatsa, and Sravan Penumetcha are charged with multiple felonies and have been in jail without bond since their arrests at the end of November.
Friday morning, the three co-defendants were in the courtroom with their attorneys for a bond hearing.
Sattaru was visibly upset, crying on the side.
After more than an hour of back-and-forth, the judge announced he'd make a decision at a later time.
That decision came hours later Friday evening.
According to court records, the court found "by clear and convincing evidence that no combination of monetary and non-monetary conditions will secure defendants appearance at trial or at any other of the criminal proceedings or secure the safety of the community or other person, including but not limited to the crime victims and witnesses. "
Prosecutors said the victim came to the United States from India on a student visa to attend college and stayed with Sattaru, who is his cousin. The victim was instead forced to perform daily chores, work for Sattaru's IT company and perform massages, was badly beaten, and was only allowed to sleep for three hours each day on a concrete floor while being watched on a live stream.
The victim was recently released from the hospital, after suffering multiple broken bones.
Representing Sattaru is attorney William Goldstein.
Goldstein said, "Sattaru is not doing well, he's got a six-year-old and two-year-old at home and his wife is home and no one is there to take care of his family. They need him badly."
Daniel Bruntrager is representing Penmatsa and Ron Brockmeyer is representing Penumetcha.
All three defense attorneys told the judge they believe the human trafficking case is a false narrative. They argued the 20-year-old is using this narrative as a victim, so he can legally become a U.S. citizen.
"I think the reality is he wants to be here in the U.S. and a citizen of the United States," Goldstein said. "He was doing work by paying Sattaru back for everything he'd done for him."
St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Joe McCulloch said the wounds paint a different picture.
"How do you explain all the broken bones in various stages of healing? His back, his head, his legs, looking like a road map because of the scar tissue and stuff like that," McCulloch added.
The defense attorneys said the victim had access to cars, two phones, clothes and food.
Goldstein told the judge Sattaru was helping his cousin, as he assisted with housing, paid for school, and helped him attain a driver's license.
Goldstein argued the victim had multiple car violations and was pulled over alone. He argued that it showed the victim had freedom to get help and drive around.
Prosecutor Lawrence Chrum countered that the victim was running errands for Sattaru, had nowhere to go and had no other family in the area. Chrum told the judge he believed they were trying to paint Sattaru as a "good guy" but called him cruel and dangerous. He also presented pictures and videos to the judge showing the victim getting beaten by a crowbar.
He continued to say that the danger to the victim and his family is real.
Goldstein admitted his client doesn't deny disciplining his cousin.
"I do believe it happened every time the victim got in trouble. He had some proclivities that I can't talk about right now and some disciplining that went on," he added. "You're presumed innocent and it's the state's burden to prove this without reasonable doubt and there is a lot that they have to prove."
The defense attorneys told the judge that all three clients were willing to surrender their U.S. passports and be on GPS monitoring in exchange for a reduced bond. They told the judge their clients do not have a criminal history.
Goldstein shared more details about Sattaru, saying Sattaru served in the U.S. Army, was honorably discharged and has his own IT company.
Goldstein explained Sattaru's family is in St. Charles County and he wants nothing to do with the victim. The defense attorneys argued the suspects are no threat to the victim, as he is in protected services.
The prosecutor shared a statement from the victim, who said, "I think it's a million times better to kill myself than see these guys again or see them released."
The next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 11.