Kansas Cult Members Convicted of Numerous Crimes Against Children

Members of a Kansas-based cult were convicted by a federal jury of forced child labor and other crimes against children.

Prosecutors say the group made children work in various businesses for up to sixteen hours without pay, made them live in squalor, beat them, and threatened that they would burn in “eternal hellfire” if they did not comply.

The six defendants belonged to a group known as the United Nation of Islam (UNOI) and were either high-ranking members of the organization or wives of UNOI founder Royall Jenkins.

They were convicted after a 26-day trial. Two other co-defendants pleaded guilty.

The alleged crimes occurred between 2000 and 2012.

“The bravery shown by victims of the United Nation of Islam is inspiring, because they spoke up about heinous atrocities committed against them as vulnerable children,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “In childhood, they suffered physical and emotional abuse, were denied a proper education, and were subject to forced labor. As adults, these victims found the strength and courage to pursue justice and face their abusers.”

According to court documents, the defendants worked together to force children, some as young as eight years old, to work at various UNOI businesses including restaurants, bakeries, gas stations, and a clothing factory without pay. They were also forced to provide childcare and other domestic services inside the homes of the cult leaders.

Prosecutors say the defendants “used a variety of coercive tactics to compel the victims’ labor and services” and “effectively controlled the victims by manipulating the UNOI rules originally created by the founder.”

The defendants allegedly lured the children to Kansas by promising education and development of life-skills through UNOI-operated businesses.

However, no education was received and instead the children were forced to work.

The victims all lived in deplorable conditions, in overcrowded facilities often overrun with mold, mice, and rats. In contrast, the defendants and their immediate families lived comfortably.

Prosecutors say the group also controlled what the children read, how the children dressed, where they went, and what they ate.

If they didn’t comply, the victims were denied food, locked in basements, and held upside-down over train tracks. They were also told they would burn in “eternal hellfire” if they tried to leave.

“Under the guise of false pretenses and coercion, these victims, some of whom were as young as eight years old, endured inhumane and abhorrent conditions," said FBI Special Agent Stephen Cyrus. 

The defendants, including Kaaba Majeed, Yunus Rassoul, James Staton, Randolph Rodney Hadley, Daniel Aubrey Jenkins, and Dana Peach, will be sentenced in February.

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