Edwards moved Smith into a roach-infested apartment which he owned, and Smith’s attorneys later described the place as “sub-human,” “deplorable” and “harmful to human health.” Edwards also threatened Smith constantly with the threat of having him arrested as well as harassing him with racial slurs.
“Most of the time I felt unsafe, like Bobby could kill me if he wanted,” Smith said, according to court records. “I wanted to get out of that place so bad but couldn’t think about how I could without being hurt.”
Smith also stated that Edwards abuse was not only emotional, but physical. Court records say that he was whipped with belts and kitchen pans and punched multiple times by Edwards.
Geneane Caines helped put an end to Smith’s abuse when she reported Edwards to authorities in October 2014. Caines also had a daughter-in-law who worked alongside Smith in the restaurant and ended up getting involved because she became concerned about Smith’s safety.
Smith was immediately taken into Adult Protective Services after the assault had been reported, and Edwards was then charged with second-degree assault and “attempt to establish peonage, slavery, involuntary servitude or human trafficking.”
“For stealing his victim’s freedom and wages, Mr. Edwards has earned every day of his sentence. The U.S. attorney’s office will not tolerate forced or exploitative labor in South Carolina, and we are grateful to the watchful citizen and our partners in law enforcement who put a stop to this particularly cruel violence,” Sherri Lydon, a U.S. attorney for the District of South Carolina, said back in 2019.