Six Convicted in Kansas Cult Forced Labor Case

Six former members of the Kansas-based cult United Nation of Islam (UNOI) have been convicted of conspiracy to commit forced labor, with one member, Kaaba Majeed, also convicted on five counts of forced labor. The cult forced children as young as eight to work up to 16-hour days without pay, subjecting them to severe beatings, inhumane living conditions, and threats of 'eternal hellfire' if they tried to escape. Punishments included withholding food and water, physical abuse, and isolation. The cult, founded by Royall Jenkins who claimed to be shown the way to rule Earth by aliens, operated businesses in multiple U.S. cities, using the unpaid labor of minors. Two additional defendants had pleaded guilty earlier, while the trial for the remaining six concluded after 26 days. The convicted members face significant prison time and mandatory restitution.