A self-proclaimed New Jersey pastor and his wife forced church members into slave labor and sex for nearly a decade — telling them God would punish them if they didn’t submit, federal prosecutors said.
Treva Edwards, 60, and his 63-year-old wife, Christine, lured vulnerable local to the Jesus is Lord by the Holy Ghost church in their Orange apartment building, forcing them to perform grueling work in the community while depriving them of food and sleep, the US Attorneys Office for New Jersey said.
According to federal prosecutors, Treva Edwards is also accused of subjecting one woman to “repeated physical and sexual assaults,” getting her pregnant and demanding she get an abortion — all the while telling her and the other victims it was all God’s will.
“The defendants convinced the victims that they would lose favor with God if they did not perform labor,” prosecutors said in a statement. “The defendants isolated the victims, monitored their communications and whereabouts, and by convincing them that non-members were evil or possessed by the devil.
The Edwards allegedly contacted out the services of their recruited slave labor force but pocketed all the proceeds, feeding them only once a day and keeping them on a strict regimen of work and prayer.
The couple allegedly ran the brutal scheme from 2011 until 2020, the feds said.
Prosecutors said they “identified and recruited victims who were facing struggles in their personal lives, including financial and familial struggles,” while Treva Edwards told them “that he was a prophet who could communicate directly with God.”
Disobeying him “would result in spiritual retribution from God, as well as physical, emotional and financial harm,” according to the US Attorney’s office.
The two alleged scammers were charged in a federal indictment last week, accusing both with conspiracy to commit forced labor, with Treva Edwards also charged with forced labor and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, federal prosecutors said.
They said both were detained after being charged on Wednesday.
It is not immediately clear if they have retained a lawyer or were still being held in federal custody.
If convicted, the two face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years to life on the labor conspiracy charges, while Treva Edwards faces 15 years to life if found guilty of the sex charge, prosecutors said.
“These charges are an example of my office’s tireless commitment to combating human trafficking in our community,” US Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba said in a statement. “We are committed to working alongside our partners to ensure that those who target the most vulnerable are brought to justice.”
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