HONOLULU -- The operators of one of Oahu's biggest farms walked away from their plea agreement on human trafficking charges Thursday. The decision left their former workers frustrated and opened the door to even more potential jail time for Alec and Mike Sou if they are convicted.

Somporn Khanja, 45, was one of the workers brought from Thailand by Aloun Farms for work on fields in the Ewa plain. Prosecutors said the Sou brothers conspired with Thai agents to bring the men here then used the workers’ debt, immigration status and isolating house rules to force them to be compliant workers. The Sous pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy in January and the 24 workers who claim their were virtually enslaved said Thursday’s sentencing would end their ordeal.

Instead the Sous withdrew their guilty pleas and now want a trial.

“They have no confidence in themselves,” said Khanja through an interpreter. “To me they are not a good person. If they know they are wrong they are supposed to plead guilty and say ‘I'm sorry.'”

In the opening minutes of the hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Oki Mollway rejected the men's plea agreement because she said they were disputing so many of the factual allegations that she said it wasn't clear they were accepting responsibility. The defense did not object.

The attorneys said the brothers agreed they were guilty of conspiring with the agents, but disputed additional allegations that they provided “deplorable” housing and restricted the workers’ freedom.

The judge suggested that the men could plead guilty to all three counts in the original indictment, but after a break to meet with their lawyers the brothers withdrew their guilty pleas and the judge set a trial date for November.

The Sous' attorneys would not explain their clients’ decision. “We're going to trial,” said Mike Sou’s attorney, Eric Seitz. Asked if that was a good idea he repeated, “We're going to trial.”

In court, federal prosecutor Susan French said without a plea agreement, the government would likely charge the Sous with more crimes and investigate new allegations that have come from a similar investigation into labor importer Global Horizons.

The workers’ civil attorneys said the Sous’ decision to go to trial was puzzling, particularly with the potential for new charges. “The case is very solid,” said immigration attorney Clare Hanusz. “I think the Sou brothers are looking at a lot more jail time than they were facing before.”

Alec Sou said he was prepared for more charges.

“It's going to come,” Alec Sou said as he walked down the courthouse steps surrounded by reporters and cameras. “Their intent is to just rip the whole family and rip the business. I know. We have seen many lies in their accusations and it is going to be more of it.”

The worst news for the workers was that by withdrawing their plea the Sous also withdrew their agreement to pay each worker $8,000 in restitution. Seitz said the Sou brothers will now need that money to pay the cost of their defense in a trial.