The owner of a pizzeria in Massachusetts was sentenced to more than 8 years for forced labor and threats of deportation

The owner of two Boston-area pizzerias has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison for years of abuse and intimidation, according to prosecutors.

Stavros Papantoniadis was sentenced in federal court to 102 months in prison Friday, along with one year of supervised release and a $35,000 fine, according to a news release from Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.

According to prosecutors, Papantoniadis forced or attempted to force six victims — five men and one woman — to work under harsh conditions at his Stash’s Pizza locations, and used violent tactics and threats of deportation to enforce the demands.

He was convicted in June of three counts of forced labor and three counts of attempted forced labor.

CNN has reached out to Papantoniadis’ lawyer for comment.

“Human trafficking exploits vulnerable populations through fear and intimidation, all in pursuit of the almighty money,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said in a news release. “This is exactly what Stavros Papantoniadis did when he violated the rights of the people who work in his restaurants.”

According to Levy, Papantoniadis intentionally hired undocumented workers for extra work and manipulated their immigration status.

Authorities found that Papantoniadis ran his pizzerias understaffed, forcing workers to work grueling shifts of 14 hours or more, often seven days a week. According to prosecutors, he kept a close watch on them with the help of surveillance cameras.

Investigators determined that Papantoniadis brutally strangled an employee who expressed his intention to quit, forcing the victim to flee in fear. When another worker tried to leave, Papantoniadis chased him down Route 1 in Norwood, Mass., and falsely reported him to police in an attempt to intimidate him into returning to work.

Papantoniadis “exploited and mistreated his employees, depriving them of the basic dignity every human being deserves,” Michael J. Krol, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, said in a release. “Today’s landmark judgment sends a message to employers that workers deserve to work safely, free from harassment and abuse.”

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