Defendant physically abused and threatened six employees for nearly a decade
BOSTON — The owner of Stash’s Pizza, a pizzeria chain in Massachusetts, was sentenced Oct. 25 for forced labor charges. An investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General found the defendant forced or attempted to force six victims to work for him and comply with excessive workplace demands through violent physical abuse; threats of violence and serious harm; and repeated threats to report the victims to immigration authorities for deportation.
Stavros Papantoniadis aka Steve Papantoniadis, 49, of Westwood, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 102 months in prison, one year of supervised release and ordered to pay a $35,000 fine. At a jury trial in June 2024, Papantoniadis was convicted of three counts of forced labor and three counts of attempted forced labor. Papantoniadis has remained in custody since his arrest on March 16, 2023.
“Stavros Papantoniadis exploited and abused his employees, denying them the basic dignity every person deserves. Today’s significant sentence sends a message to employers — employees deserve to work in safety, free from harassment and abuse and exploitative employers will be held to account,” said HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “Labor exploitation targets the disenfranchised in our society but we want employees to know that they have a voice and HSI is working with our partners to uphold and enforce labor laws.”
“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. 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,” said acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “I commend the bravery of the victims here for speaking out and taking a stand against their trafficker. I hope that their strength to speak out sends a message to others whose rights are being abused that the federal government will not tolerate labor trafficking. The stiff sentence imposed on Mr. Papantoniadis demonstrates that there are grave consequences for employers who engage in this type of conduct.”
“Stavros Papantoniadis used threats of arrest, deportation, reprisals, and physical violence to ensure his employees worked for wages lower than required by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Today’s sentencing affirms the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to work with our law enforcement and Wage and Hour Division partners to aggressively investigate labor trafficking by individuals who enrich themselves through coercion or force,” said Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Papantoniadis forced or attempted to force five men and one woman to work for him through violent physical abuse, threats of abuse, and repeated threats to report victims to immigration authorities to have them deported. HSI’s investigation found Papantoniadis thinly staffed his pizza shops, and purposely employed workers without immigration status to work behind the scenes, for 14 or more hours per day and as many as seven days per week. To maintain control of those workers, he made them believe that he would physically harm them or have them deported. He monitored the workers with surveillance cameras, which he accessed from his cell phone, and constantly demeaned, insulted and harassed them. When Papantoniadis learned that one victim planned to quit, he violently choked him, causing that victim to flee the pizza shop and run to safety in the parking lot. When other victims separately expressed their intentions to quit, Papantoniadis told one victim that he would kill him and call immigration authorities; and he threatened another worker by telling him he knew where the victim lived. When another worker tried to leave and drive away from one of Papantoniadis’ pizza shops, Papantoniadis chased the victim down Route 1 in Norwood, Massachusetts, and falsely reported the victim to the local police in an effort to pressure the victim to return to work at the pizza shop.
Papantoniadis is the owner and operator of Stash’s Pizza, a chain of pizzerias with locations in Dorchester and Roslindale, and previously had pizzerias operating under the name Boston Pizza Company in Norwood, Norwell, Randolph, and Pacini’s Italian Eatery in Weymouth and Wareham.
HSI New England’s Boston Human Trafficking and Smuggling Unit and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General Northeast Regional Office led the investigation. Assistance was provided by the Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, the Boston Police Department, the Cambridge Police Department and the Norwood Police Department.
Forced labor is a form of human trafficking. HSI plays an integral role in combating human trafficking by working with its law enforcement partners to deter, disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks that engage in it. Special agents use their expertise and rely on HSI’s authorities to seize assets and eliminate profit incentives, work with nongovernmental organizations to protect and assist victims, and bring traffickers to justice. HSI leads the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) to advance counter human trafficking law enforcement operations, protect victims and enhance prevention efforts. The CCHT integrates the efforts of every component within DHS involved in combating human trafficking, including criminal investigations, victim assistance, identifying and reporting human trafficking, external outreach, intelligence and training.
HSI’s Victim Assistance Program (VAP) provides a critical resource to HSI investigations and criminal prosecutions. The VAP helps preserve victims’ and survivors’ rights, helps connect them with the services they’re legally entitled to receive, and provides them with the support they need to fully participate in the criminal justice process.
If you suspect someone may be a human trafficking victim, call the HSI Tip Line at 877-4-HSI-TIP.
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