Faced with an intellectual disability, Smith became enslaved by Edwards from 2009 to 2014. Edwards moved the man into an apartment attached to the restaurant and “forced him to work more than 100 hours per week without pay.”
“Edwards effected this forced labor by taking advantage of Jack’s intellectual disability and keeping Jack isolated from his family, threatening to have him arrested, and verbally abusing him,” Niemeyer wrote.
On one occasion, Edwards dipped metal tongs into hot grease when Smith didn’t bring fried chicken to the buffet as fast as Edwards wanted, according to a court document. Smith said he was whipped with a belt, punched with fists and beat with kitchen pans if he made mistakes.