For over a decade, a secretive cult-like group forced children and teens to work long hours without pay in cities across the United States. Victims were promised education and life skills but instead faced threats, abuse, and isolation. Now, six former leaders of the group have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a disturbing forced labor conspiracy that shocked the nation.
Cult Members Used Children for Free Labor Across the U.S.
In a case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, six former high-ranking members of the United Nation of Islam (UNOI) have been sentenced for forcing children into unpaid labor for more than 12 years. The organization, founded by Royall Jenkins, operated businesses in Kansas City, New York, Newark, Cincinnati, Dayton, Atlanta, and other cities. These included restaurants, bakeries, gas stations, a clothing factory, and more.
Jenkins, who claimed to be a divine figure, ran the group with strict control. His close followers helped him enforce harsh rules. Among those sentenced was Dana Peach, one of Jenkins’s wives. Children as young as eight were forced to work up to 16 hours a day in these businesses and in the homes of the cult members.
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The victims were often cut off from their families and forced to live in overcrowded, dirty homes with little food or water. They were promised education but were only sent to an unlicensed school run by UNOI. Communications with outsiders were closely watched. Any disobedience was punished with beatings, threats, or complete isolation.
Sentences Handed Down After Major Federal Trial
The forced labor conspiracy lasted from October 2000 through November 2012. In September 2024, following a 26-day trial, a jury found all six defendants guilty of conspiracy to commit forced labor. One man, Kaaba Majeed, was found guilty of five additional counts of forced labor. He received the longest sentence — 10 years in federal prison, plus three years of supervised release.
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Here are the full sentences:
- Kaaba Majeed, 51 – 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release
- James Staton, 63 – 5 years in prison, 1 year of supervised release
- Randolph Rodney Hadley, 50 – 5 years in prison, 1 year of supervised release
- Daniel Aubrey Jenkins, 44 – 4 years in prison, 1 year of supervised release
- Dana Peach, 60 – 4 years in prison, 1 year of supervised release
- Yunus Rassoul, 39 – 5 years of probation
Two other co-defendants, Etenia Kinard, 49, and Jacelyn Greenwell, 46, pleaded guilty earlier and are scheduled to be sentenced on September 22.
Prosecutors revealed that these individuals lured families with promises of life skills training and better opportunities for their children. Instead, they isolated and exploited the victims, making them dependent on the cult and stripping them of basic rights. The victims were subjected to emotional and physical abuse and were forced to work without any form of compensation.
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Authorities Say Justice Has Been Served for the Victims
The investigation was led by the FBI Kansas City Field Office, with help from the Department of Labor and the New York State Department of Labor. After years of gathering evidence and survivor testimony, justice was finally delivered.
“This case highlights the value of those partnerships,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus, adding that the safety of the community remains a top priority.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon called the crime “egregious,” emphasizing that the Department of Justice will continue to fight human trafficking. U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser noted that while the victims are now adults, the trauma and injustice they suffered as children demanded accountability — and received it.
The prosecution team included Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Huschka and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorneys Kate Alexander, Maryam Zhuravitsky, and Francisco Zornosa.