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U.S. woman sentenced to prison for helping enslave mentally disabled woman

Dezerah Silsby leaves the U.S. Federal courthouse Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Cleveland. AP Photo/Tony Dejak

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A woman accused of using ice cream to lure a mentally disabled woman and her child to captivity in a forced-labour case has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison.

A federal judge on Thursday sentenced 22-year-old Ashland resident Dezerah Silsby to 45 months in prison.

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Silsby’s attorney, Jennifer Scott, says they respect the judge’s decision but are disappointed she didn’t agree with their request for a shorter sentence.

Silsby made a plea deal after an indictment charged her with threatening the woman, beating her and making her do housework.

A jury found two other defendants guilty at a trial. A fourth defendant pleaded guilty and received a five-year sentence.

Silsby testified she was threatened by the others and feared having her own child taken away.

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