Couple guilty in Tahoe beating of Indian immigrant

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A white couple has been convicted in federal court in a racially motivated attack on an Indian immigrant.

Prosecutors say 56-year-old Joseph Silva and his 52-year-old wife Georgia yelled racial slurs at Vishal Wadhwa and his wife on a Lake Tahoe beach in July 2007.

When Wadhwa went to call 911, he was attacked and kicked in the head several times. He suffered broken face bones and has lingering sensory and focus complications.

A jury found the Silvas guilty Thursday of interfering with Wadhwa's right to enjoy public facilities because of his race or national origin.

The couple previously pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault and battery in El Dorado County Superior Court. Georgia Silva was sentenced to a year in jail and Joseph Silva to six months.

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Information from: The Sacramento Bee, http://www.sacbee.com