SC man sentenced to 10 years after forcing disabled man to work at restaurant

CONWAY, S.C. (WOLO) — A South Carolina man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after forcing labor on a man with an intellectual disability to work extensive hours at a restaurant for no pay, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Bobby Paul Edwards, 54, of Conway, South Carolina, pleaded guilty in June 2018 and will also be ordered to pay over $272,952.96 to the victim.

According to the defendant’s plea colloquy and admissions in court, between 2009 and 2014, Edwards 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.

Edwards put the victim through physical and emotional abuse whenever the victim made a mistake or failed to work fast enough, according to the U.S. DOJ. Edwards beat the victim with a belt, fists, and pots and pans. On one occasion, he dipped metal tongs into hot grease and burned the victim’s 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 defendant’s abuse, the victim was removed from the situation in October 2014.

“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.