The owner of a Massachusetts pizzeria chain was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for physically abusing six employees and threatening them with further violence and deportation if they did not comply with his "excessive workplace demands," federal authorities announced.

Stavros Papantoniadis, also known as Steve Papantoniadis, was handed an eight-and-a-half-year sentence in a District of Massachusetts courtroom months after being found guilty of three counts of forced labor and three counts of attempted forced labor, according to a Justice Department news release.

“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,” U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in the release.

Steven C. Boozang, Papantoniadis' attorney, told USA TODAY that his client was a "pillar of the community" and had no quarrels with any of the hundreds of people he's previously employed since he began his business over 32 years ago.

"He had done a lot for the community," Boozang said.

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What did Steve Papantoniadis do?

The 49-year-old from Westwood, Massachusetts forced or attempted to force five men and one woman to do excessive labor at his shop, Stash's Pizza, by abusing them and repeatedly threatening to contact immigration authorities, according to the Justice Department.

Federal prosecutors said Papantoniadis "thinly staffed" his two Stash's Pizza locations, in Dorchester and Roslindale, on purpose and employed individuals without immigration status to work for 14 hours or more a day for up to seven days a week. One of the employees would work between 84 and 119 hours per week, according to a federal complaint obtained by USA TODAY.

In addition to threatening the workers with physical harm and deportation, Papantoniadis monitored them with surveillance cameras and "constantly demeaned, insulted and harassed them," according to the Justice Department. When Papantoniadis learned one of the workers planned on quitting, he "violently choked him," federal authorities said.

When other workers told Papantoniadis they intended to quit, the owner told one of them that "he would kill him" and call immigration authorities, while he threatened another by telling him he knew where he lived, the Justice Department said. Another worker told authorities that Papantoniadis chased him down Route 1 in Norwood, Massachusetts and falsely reported him to local police so he would return to work at the pizza shop, according to the release.

Attorney: Steve Papantoniadis forced labor allegations 'extremely suspect'

Boozang said the allegations the six workers brought against Papantoniadis were "extremely suspect" for several reasons, including the Stash's Pizza owner paying for their vacations, buying their kids Christmas gifts and even paying for one of their weddings.

In addition to the things Papantoniadis allegedly did for the six workers, Boozang said he found it odd that no previous employees had complained about his client.

"(Papantoniadis) has had hundreds and hundreds of employees over the years, many who have come back," according to the attorney.

Papantoniadis also paid the six workers up to $17 an hour for the 70-hour work weeks, which they requested, Boozang said.

"He gave them what they wanted," Boozang said.

Civil case against Steve Papantoniadis resolved in 2019

The U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hours Division (DOL-WHD) brought a civil case against Papantoniadis on March 24, 2017, for "overtime wage violations," according to court documents.

The civil suit was resolved on March 27, 2019, and five out of the six workers who were a part of the criminal case received compensation for back wages and liquidated damages through Papantoniadis' settlement with the DOL-WHD, court records say.

Boozang said the forced labor allegations against Papantoniadis "came out of the woodwork," and that the six workers "read the script."

Although Boozang's suspicions were raised during Papantoniadis' trial, a jury found his client guilty in June.

"Papantoniadis exploited and abused his employees, denying them the basic dignity every person deserves," Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England, said in the release. "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."