NEW YORK (CMC) – A Trinidadian couple and their daughter, accused of conning 19 Caribbean immigrants in the United States of more than US$1.8 million, have been sentenced to a total of 418 years in prison.

In the sentence handed down on Wednesday, Shane Ramsundar, 52, his 48-year-old wife Gomatee Ramsundar and daughter Shantal, 23, were described by the judge as “the most despicable gang of criminals to ever sit in front of me.”

Shane Ramsundar received the maximum 235-year sentence. His wife was sentenced to 153 years and daughter 30 years.

The three were found guilty last November of grand larceny.

Prosecutors said Shane Ramsundar told immigrants that he could get their names on terror watch lists, or prevent their deportation by getting them green cards.

Assistant District Attorney Catherine Kane said: “They stole from their own people afraid of reporting to the police, terrified of being deported back to a place where they had no one to go home to”.

One of the victims was an immigrant suffering with multiple sclerosis who gave the family of con artists US$43,000 after being told that at he was about to be deported.

Ramsundar also fooled immigrants into believing that he could get them cheap housing.

Prosecutors said that the family used some of the money to buy cars, expensive hand bags, and go on shopping sprees.