chinese acrobats enslaved?

In Las Vegas, federal prosecutors have filed charges against the adult leaders of a troupe of young Chinese acrobats, accusing them of "involuntary servitude": 3 Charged With Enslaving Members of Chinese Acrobatic Troupe Performing in U.S.. You Zhi Li, Yang Shen and Jun Hu of the China Star Acrobats were taken into custody last month after a woman working as an interpreter for the group contacted the authorities. The three leaders apparently had been depriving members of the group, most in their midteens to late 20s, of adequate food and payment, kept them in crowded bedrooms and refused to let them leave the house. That sounds a bit like acrobat slavery. However, representatives of China Star and other members of the troupe who aren't part of the case—about half of the 20 performers—are saying the accusations are false and were concocted by members seeking a way to avoid their expiring visas and stay in the United States. Looks like they're not going to take these charges lying down...