The convicted individuals — Kaaba Majeed, Yunus Rassoul, James Staton, Randolph Rodney Hadley, Daniel Aubrey Jenkins, and Dana Peach — were found guilty of conspiracy to commit forced labor. Majeed, the highest-ranking member on trial, was also convicted of five counts of forced labor. Two other co-defendants, Etenia Kinard and Jacelyn Greenwell, had previously pleaded guilty to similar charges. The case brought to light the horrific exploitation of children and young adults by UNOI, a religious group that portrayed itself as a community-building organization. Prosecutors revealed that the defendants manipulated children into years of unpaid labor under abusive conditions, according to a press release from the Justice Department. The defendants enforced a strict control regime, dictating what the children ate, wore, and who they could communicate with. Many were subjected to degrading punishments, such as being locked in a dark basement, deprived of food, and beaten in front of others to instill fear. Prosecutors detailed how the defendants forced minors, some as young as eight years old, to work long hours without pay in various UNOI-owned businesses, including restaurants, bakeries, and gas stations. Prosecutors also recounted instances of extreme abuse, including holding one child upside down over train tracks and forcing another to drink from a toilet out of thirst. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said the defendants “betrayed this trust, exploiting young children by callously compelling their labor.” The victims, who worked up to 16 hours a day, were denied access to proper education and lived in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. While the victims suffered physical and emotional abuse, the defendants and their families lived comfortably. The court heard evidence that the children’s education, supposedly one of UNOI’s promises to parents, was fraudulent. Instead of receiving legitimate schooling, the victims were compelled to perform labor under the threat of punishment. UNOI's so-called “university” was little more than a tool to extract labor from the children, the Justice Department said. U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher praised the bravery of the victims who testified, noting that, as children, they endured years of forced labor and abuse, but as adults, they found the courage to seek justice. Sentencing for the convicted defendants is scheduled for February 2025. Majeed faces up to 20 years in prison, while the others face a maximum of five years each.A Kansas jury has convicted six former high-ranking members of the United Nation of Islam (UNOI) for their roles in a forced labor conspiracy, concluding a 26-day trial.
