A pizzeria owner from Westwood, a suburb of Boston, was found guilty of exploiting and mistreating his employees who were living in the U.S. without legal immigration status. Stavros Papantoniadis was convicted for using violence and threats, including the threat of deportation, to force his employees to work excessively long shifts at his two pizzerias. He manipulated six victims into complying with his demands using surveillance and verbal abuse. Papantoniadis now faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison for each count of forced labor and attempted forced labor, along with possible fines and restitution. His sentencing is scheduled for September 12.
See "Boston pizza shop owner convicted of forced labor against employees in the country illegally", Associated Press, Associated Press, June 10, 2024