Six former cult members sentenced in 12+ year KCK forced child labor scheme

Kansas City, Missouri — Six former cult members have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a 12+ year forced child labor scheme in Kansas City, Kansas.

According to the United States Department of Justice, the six high-ranking members of the United Nation of Islam (UNOI) forced members into unpaid labor. The DOJ says they did so using beatings, threats, punishments, isolation and coercion.

Additionally, some of the victims, who were forced to work up to 16 hours per day, were as young as eight years old. The DOJ says the conspiracy lasted for more than 12 years—from October 2000 through November 2012.

The DOJ says the victims also performed forced and unpaid childcare and domestic service in the defendants’ homes. Investigation revealed that while the defendants were living comfortably in their homes, the victims were housed in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions with restricted food and water.

During the trial, it was revealed that the defendants promised education and training to entice parents to send their children to Kansas. That’s when the victims would be isolated from their families, making them dependent on the cult, with UNOI even monitoring the victims’ communications and whereabouts.

UNOI operated businesses like restaurants, bakeries, gas stations, a labratory and a clothing factory across multiple states, including at least on business in Kansas City, Kansas.

“The defendants were entrusted to care for and nurture vulnerable children but instead chose to exploit and abuse them,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas.

“Although these crimes were committed many years ago and the children are now adults, the sentences handed down today reflect how the passage of time did not diminish the Department of Justice’s resolve to hold these human traffickers accountable and seek justice for their victims.”

Other locations listed by the DOJ included New York, New York; Newark, New Jersey; Cincinnati, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Atlanta, Georgia, and others.

Now, the DOJ says that defendant Kaaba Majeed, 51, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for forced labor and forced labor conspiracy. Also sentenced were co-defendants Yunus Rassoul, 39, (five years of probation) and James Staton, 63 (five years in prison and one year of supervised release).

Three others were sentenced as well. Randolph Rodney Hadley, 50, received five years in prison and one year of supervised release. Dana Peach, 60, received four years in prison and one year of supervised release. Lastly, Daniel Aubrey Jenkins, 44, was sentenced to four years in prison and one year of supervised release.

The six defendants were convicted in September of 2024 after a 26-day trial. Two others who pleaded guilty to the forced labor conspiracy, 49-year-old Etenia Kinard and 46-year-old Jacelyn Greenwell, will be sentenced on September 22, the DOJ says.

The FBI Kansas City Field Office investigated the case with the assistance of the Department of Labor and the New York State Department of Labor.

“The FBI works closely with numerous local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, as well as non-governmental agencies and other nonprofits on the front lines to combat human trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office.

“This case highlights the value of those partnerships. The Kansas City FBI will continue to prioritize the safety of our community and thanks the Department of Labor and the New York State Department of Labor for their invaluable assistance.”