A SOUTH CAROLINA RESTAURANT
MANAGER ACCUSED OF ENSLAVING A
BLACK CLIP FOR YEARS HAS PLED GUILTY TO FORCED LABOR.
THIS IS
REGARDING BOBBY PAUL EDWARDS, A 53-YEAR-OLD WHITE MALE.
HE
ADMITTED USING VIOLENCE, THREATS OF INTIMIDATION TACTICS TO FORCE
JOHN CHRISTOPHER SMITH INTO WORKING 100 HOURS A WEEK WITHOUT
PAY AT EDWARDS MYRTLE BEACH BUFFET RESTAURANT J&J CAFETERIA.
THERE HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT LOCAL ACCOUNTS OF WHAT EXACTLY
HAPPENED, SOME ARE SAYING HE WAS UNPAID OR PAID LESS THAN $3000 A
YEAR.
BY ALL ACCOUNTS HE WAS WORKING WAY TOO MANY HOURS FOR
WAY TOO LITTLE PAY IF ANY.
IT SEEMED HE WAS ALSO BEING FORCED
TO STAY IN A VERY BROKEN DOWN APARTMENT.
EDWARDS REPORTEDLY
BEAT HIM WITH A FIRE PLAN, BURNED HIM WITH GREASE, BEAT HIM
WITH HIS FISTS AND BELT BUCKLE AND ROUTINELY USED THE N-WORD
WHEN SPEAKING TO HIM.
THIS FINALLY CAME TO A STOP AFTER A
LONG TIME RESTAURANT PATRON NOTICED THERE WERE SCARS ALL
OVER SMITH'S HANDS AND HE ALERTED SOMEONE TO IT.
ALLEGEDLY SMITH'S FAMILY WOULD COME BY AND EDWARDS WOULD HIDE
HIM AND NOT LET HIM SEE THEM.
APPARENTLY SMITH HAD BEEN
WORKING THERE SINCE HE WAS 12 BUT THIS PERIOD WAS WHEN EDWARDS
WAS A MANAGER BETWEEN 2009 AND 2014.
JOHN CHRISTOPHER SMITH
WHO SOMETIMES GOES BY CHRIS SMITH SAID:
THIS IS SUCH A CRAZY STORY.
HE HAD BEEN EXPLOITED BY THIS MAN AND TREATED AS A SLAVE
SINCE HE WAS 12 YEARS OLD AND IT WENT ON.
NO, HE WAS WORKING AS A BUS BOY, BUT NOW HE IS ABOUT 40.
THE ENSLAVEMENT PERIOD TAKES PLACE BETWEEN 2009 AND 2014 BUT
HE HAD BEEN WORKING THERE BEFORE.
HE DOES SEEM TO HAVE
SOME KIND OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE.
HE IS A VULNERABLE PERSON AND AGE 12,
I THINK THAT WHATEVER RELATIONSHIP THAT GAVE THIS GUY
TREMENDOUS DOMINANCE OVER HIM, THAT IS WHEN IT BEGAN PROBABLY.
CLEARLY THEIR HISTORY DATES BACK TO THAT.
THAT IS CRAZY.
IT WENT ON FOR SO LONG AND IT WENT
UNNOTICED AND LUCKILY A PATRON SPOKE UP AND FINALLY JUSTICE WAS
SERVED IN THIS CASE.
THAT IS UPDATES OF THE STORY, THIS WAS A
BIG STORY LAST YEAR AND THIS MAN GETS PROSECUTED AND NOW HE IS
FACING JUSTICE.
IF WE COULD JUMP TO GRAPHIC 62, IT SEEMS LIKE EDWARDS'
LAWYERS TAKE UMBRAGE WITH THE TERM SLAVERY IN PARTICULAR,
SAYING:
WHAT WOULD YOU CALL IT IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE WORKING 100 HOURS A
WEEK AND YOU DO NOT PAY THEM AND YOU BEAT THEM?
YOU KEEP THEM AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILY.
QUITE FRANKLY I BELIEVE THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF SLAVERY.
LOOK, THEY ARE THE DEFENSE ATTORNEY SO COURSE THEY ARE
GOING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO DEFEND THEIR CLIENT, BUT FORCING
SOMEONE TO WORK AND BRUTALIZING THEM WITH NO PAY IS SLAVERY.
THAT IS JUST WHAT IT IS.
I WOULD REALLY LIKE IT IF YOU DIDN'T USE THIS TERRIBLE
WORD FOR WHAT HE WAS DOING.
SURE I WOULD LIKE TO EAT ICE CREAM EVERY NIGHT FOR THE
REST OF MY LIFE AND NOT GAIN WEIGHT BUT WE DON'T GET WHAT WE
WANT.
HE SAYS THE USE OF THE WORD SLAVERY IN THE CLIMATE WE ARE IN
NOW.
EXACTLY WHAT CLIMATE ARE WE IN WHERE THESE BEHAVIORS
WOULD'VE BEEN IN ANOTHER CATEGORY?
YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE TURN OF THE LAST CENTURY TO GO
BACK WHEN YOU COULD MAYBE GET AWAY WITH IT.
IT IS AN AWFUL
STORY AND DEPRESSING.
JUSTICE WAS DONE, BUT IT IS JUSTICE DELAYED.
EDWARDS FACES 20 YEARS IN PRISON,
$250,000 MAXIMUM FINE AND MANDATORY RESTITUTION TO
SMITH, I DON'T KNOW EXACT WHAT THAT IS THOUGH.
HOPEFULLY IT IS ENOUGH FOR SMITH TO LIVE A COMFORTABLE
LIFE, BECAUSE EISLEY HE DESERVES.