Posted on 11/07/2019 3:07:17 PM PST by yesthatjallen
South Carolina Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Forcing Man with Intellectual Disability to Work at Restaurant
U.S. District Court Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced defendant Bobby Paul Edwards, 54, of Conway, South Carolina, to 10 years in prison and ordered him to pay $272,952.96 in restitution to the victim. The defendant pleaded guilty on June 4, 2018, to one count of forced labor for coercing an African-American man with an intellectual disability to work extensive hours at a restaurant for no pay.
It is almost inconceivable that instances of forced labor endure in this country to this day a century and a half after the Emancipation Proclamation, said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. The Department of Justice will continue to investigate, prosecute, and convict human traffickers involved in forced labor, seeking justice on behalf of their victims.
For stealing his victims freedom and wages, Mr. Edwards has earned every day of his sentence, said U.S. Attorney Sherri A. Lydon for the District of South Carolina. The U.S. Attorneys Office will not tolerate forced or exploitative labor in South Carolina, and we are grateful to the watchful citizen and our partners in law enforcement who put a stop to this particularly cruel violence.
This abusive enslavement of a vulnerable person is shocking. The FBI is always vigilantly searching for these offenses and stands ready to bring perpetrators to justice and help victims reclaim their lives. We understand human trafficking takes many forms and we encourage anyone with information related to these crimes to contact the FBI, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jody Norris.
According to the defendants plea colloquy and admissions in court, between 2009 and 2014, the defendant used violence and other coercive means to compel the victim to work for more than 100 hours a week for no pay at a restaurant managed by the defendant in Conway, South Carolina. The defendant subjected the victim to physical and emotional abuse whenever the victim made a mistake or failed to work fast enough. The defendant beat the victim with a belt, fists, and pots and pans. On one occasion, he dipped metal tongs into hot grease and burned the victims neck. The defendant further yelled at the victim and used racial slurs to belittle and demean him. After a concerned resident notified state authorities of the defendants abuse, the victim was removed from the situation in October 2014.
SNIP
From at least between 2009 and 2014 Bobby Paul Edwards physically and emotional abused a man working (as a slave) at his restaurant.
How many paid employees worked there (if any), saw the abuse, and did nothing? Why did his family not intervene?
While Bobby Paul Edwards confessed to the abuse, this is an odd case with many unanswered questions especially about the relationship of the victim and his family.
From CNN:
In an interview last year with CNN affiliate WPDE, Smith said Edwards physically abused him for years and forced him to live in a room behind the restaurant, keeping him away from his relatives. When Smith's family came to the restaurant, the manager would force him to stay in the kitchen, he said. "I wanted to get out of there a long time ago. But I didn't have nobody I could go to," he told the affiliate. " I couldn't go anywhere. I couldn't see none of my family."
Smith said he started busing tables and washing dishes at the restaurant when he was 12, but the alleged incidents started when Edwards took over as manager.
In October 2014, a frequent customer noticed the scars on his body when he was putting food down and called authorities, who removed Smith from the restaurant, the affiliate said. The victim is about 40 years now.
Restaurant manager beat black employee for years and forced him to work without pay
Where is BLM when you actually need some vigilante justice?
This man deserves the full super deluxe treatment when he gets to jail and the prisoners find out who he is.
The last paragraph that the guilty man admitted to is HORRIFIC and if it’s all true, 10 years isn’t enough.
But yeah I wonder if the judge said that with a straight face??!!?
If they actually wanted to crack down on human slavery, they’d be arrested quite a number of congressmen and women for contributing to sexual slavery.
I saw the headline, and expected the subject to be either from Asia or from the Middle East. Both groups are known to treat employees like this while living in the United States.
Same with a third group; illegal immigrants from Mexico.
My guess, abuser is not a White guy. . .no mention of race of the criminal forcing a Black guy to work. . .if the bad guy was White it would be earth-shattering news played 24-7 yelling about slavery being supported by Whites and it was Trumps fault, bringing back slavery ya’know, we all know that.
Wow. . .I posted too early, it WAS a White guy. . .amazing that the usual MSM lefty’s haven’t been braying non-stop about the criminals race.
Looks a lot like Danny Bonaduce....
My guess, abuser is not a White guy. .
= = = = = = =
Don’t want to paint with a ‘broad brush’ BUT
Bobby Paul ain’t exactly many minorities choice of names.
Similar. I guess if he had red hair maybe even more so. 8>)
My guess is you should look at the picture in post 5 :)
Post 8.
Boy as a northern, I would Definitely assume that’s the name of a good old boy :)
Just like the south may think Rocco and Antonio and Aniello are EYEtailan names :)
And you’d be right. Aniello is my middle name
Post 8. . .yup figured that out. . .thanks.
*My first mistake on FR*
There's more going on than is being reported. His family seems to have simply forgotten him (or were they glad he was out of their lives?)
I’m at 4,382 mistakes on FR.
The most recent one is my utter mistrust of Rs in the senate and my thoughts that they could go against Trump if impeachment got through.
That won’t happen.
Don’t know what I was thinking.
I was sure mueller was gonna get him too.
AND I thought Vietnam was a relatively new country.
I could go on but you probably have to go to work some time tomorrow!!
Post 8
LOL. . .well stated, my friend, and completely believable.
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