Cousins! A wealthy West Virginia couple has been brought up on a long list of charges after forcing their Black adopted children to work as slaves and sleep in a barn!
According to the New York Post, Donald Ray Lantz, 63, and Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 62 were arrested in October 2023 following a wellness check where officers discovered children between the ages of 6, 9, 11, 14, and 16 — living in inhumane living conditions on their Sissonville located property.
Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers says within an issued statement that the indictment serves as one of the worst she’s ever seen. She says that the adopted children were mistreated and forced to work on the couple’s farm solely because of their race.
“It alleges human trafficking, human rights violations, the use of forced labor,” said Judge Akers in court.
“Human rights violations specific to the fact that these children were targeted because of their race and they were used basically as slaves from what the indictment alleges.”
Reports read that the couple is currently facing multiple charges including human trafficking of a minor child, use of a minor child in forced labor, and child neglect creating a substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death.
According to WCHS, the married couple were arrested after a neighbor called local authorities for a child welfare check. A court filing confirms that a neighbor told police that two teenagers were being locked in a shed at the couple’s home.
“Neighbors also reported that the children were forced to perform farm labor and were not permitted inside the residence,” reads the filing.
Arriving officers are said to have discovered a 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl locked in the shed. They state there was a small RV porta-potty with no lights or running water.
One of the teens communicated to police that they had been locked away in the barn for over 10 hours after they were last fed.
The teens said the couple had forced them to sleep on a concrete floor without any mattresses. They both wore dirty clothes and had body odor, reported the police.
“The girl wore shoes while the 14-year-old boy had “open sores on his bare feet,” court documents read .
A 9-year-old girl was discovered by police within the main residence. Hours later, Lantz arrived with an 11-year-old boy and Whitefeather soon followed with a 6-year-old girl.
Whitefeather told officers that the teens preferred living in the barn and referred to it as a clubhouse.
However the teens recalled countless acts of abuse at the home as well as their previous residence in Washington state.
The prosecution team has indicated that they have proof that the couple moved from Washington State after learning they were under investigation.
Metro news reports that Judge Akers decided to raise their bond after the prosecution issued claims that their original bonds were obtained through trafficking profits. The couple quickly paid a $400,000 bond for their release from jail back in February.
Kanawha County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Krivonyak said that the couple sold an 80-acre ranch in Tonasket, Washington, that they sold for $725,000 on Feb. 2.
“Whitefeather’s brother posted two $200,000 bonds to free the couple from the South Central Regional Jail three days later,” reports the New York Post.
On March 28, prosecutors confirmed that the couple sold their Sissonville home where they were originally arrested for $295,000. While prosecutors argued that if their bond money actually derived from a legit source, its planned use was human trafficking and forced labor.
Prosecutors have argued that the money should be transferred from the custody of the state to a trust fund for each of the children.
Both Lantz and Whitefeather have since been taken back into custody with their bonds raised to $500,000 each.
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