Woman In Ashland Enslavement Case Sentenced To 4 Years In Jail

An Ohio woman accused of using ice cream to lure a mentally disabled woman and her child to captivity in a forced-labor 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. 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.