A Kansas-based cult, formerly known as the United Nation of Islam and the Value Creators, has been convicted of operating a scheme to house children in overcrowded, rodent-infested facilities and forcing them to work up to 16 hours a day without pay. The six defendants, who were either high-ranking members of the cult or wives of the late founder, subjected the children to beatings and other forms of abuse, telling them they would burn in “eternal hellfire” if they left.
The group, which was labeled a cult by a federal judge in 2018, ran businesses using unpaid labor from group members and their children. The children were also sent to an unlicensed school in Kansas City, where they received inadequate instruction in most subjects and were ultimately forced to work in various businesses in several states.
Prosecutors described the deplorable conditions in which the children lived, including overcrowded facilities infested with mold, mice, and rats. The children were subjected to strict rules about what they could read, wear, and eat, and punishments included being locked in a dark basement.
The defendants and their immediate families, however, lived comfortably. The FBI and prosecutors highlighted the exploitation of young children by the cult, calling it a betrayal of trust and a violation of basic human rights. Sentencing hearings are scheduled for February, with the convictions carrying sentences of up to 20 years in prison for one defendant and up to five years for the others. Two other co-defendants had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit forced labor.
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