Pizza shop owner gets 8.5-year sentence for deportation threats
The shop owner was sentenced to over 8 years in prison for forced labor by using threats of deportation against employees.
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Pizza Shop Owner Gets 8.5-Year Sentence for Deportation Threats
Published Oct 28, 2024 at 6:48 PM EDTUpdated Oct 28, 2024 at 8:00 PM EDT
01:23
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By Natalie Venegas
Weekend Reporter
Apizza shop owner in Massachusetts has been sentenced to over eight years in prison after a jury found him guilty of forced labor for using physical violence and threats of deportation against employees living in the country illegally.
Following a lengthy investigation and trial, Stavros Papantoniadis, 49, of Westwood, was convicted of intimidating his undocumented employees at Stash's Pizza, leading a federal judge to impose a sentence on Friday of 102 months in prison, a year of supervised release, and a $35,000 fine.
The sentencing comes after a jury convicted Papantoniadis of three counts of forced labor and three counts of attempted forced labor in June. Papantoniadis has remained in custody since his arrest in March 2023.
According to prosecutors, Papantoniadis forced or attempted to force six victims—five men and one woman—to work for him and comply with excessive workplace demands, often forcing them into grueling 14-hour shifts across seven days a week.
Prosecutors detailed how he used surveillance, repeated threats to report the victims to immigration authorities for deportation and even physical violence to keep employees in line.
One worker reportedly faced physical assault, fleeing the job after being choked by Papantoniadis. Another was pursued on a local highway after attempting to leave, only to be reported falsely to local authorities to pressure the victim to return to work at the pizza shop.
Stavros Papantoniadis, owner of Stash's Pizza, pictured on November 2, 2016. Papantoniadis was sentenced to over eight years in prison after a jury found him guilty of forced labor for using violence and threats of... More Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe/ AP
What Prosecutors Said
U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy called the situation a clear example of labor trafficking, emphasizing that Papantoniadis preyed on vulnerable individuals.
"Labor trafficking exploits the vulnerable through fear and intimidation, all in pursuit of the almighty buck. That is what Stavros Papantoniadis did when he violated the rights of the people working in his restaurants," Levy said.
"He deliberately hired foreign nationals who lacked authorization to work in the United States and then turned their lack of immigration status against them, threatening them with deportation and violence to keep them under his control," he added.
What Papantoniadis Said
Papantoniadis' legal team is pursuing an appeal, with attorney Carmine Lepore arguing that the sentence aligns more closely with punishments for severe trafficking crimes, like human trafficking.
"Although the judge saw fit to sentence him slightly beneath the guidelines, we are disappointed in the length of the sentence," Carmine Lepore said. "The sentencing guidelines applicable to this case are more appropriate for human traffickers and sexual servitude defendants."
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
