A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan has indicted two people for their alleged roles in a forced labor and money laundering conspiracy that victimized unpaid workers in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri.
David Taylor (age 53) and Michelle Brannon (age 56), were arrested on Wednesday in North Carolina and Florida, respectively, in a nationwide takedown of their alleged forced labor organization.
The government says that Taylor and Brannon were the self-appointed leaders of a group they called Kingdom of God Global Church (KOGGC), formerly Joshua Media Ministries International (JMMI).
The government says Taylor refers to himself as “Apostle," calls himself "Jesus's best friend," and refers to Brannon as his Executive Director. Their organization allegedly ran a call center that solicited donations for the group every day. Taylor established his first call center in Taylor, Michigan, and then operated call centers in other locations in the United States including in Florida, Texas, and Missouri.
Taylor and Brannon, according to the indictment, compelled group members to work at their call centers and to work for Taylor as his “armor bearers.” According to the indictment, armor bearers were Taylors’ personal servants who fulfilled Taylor’s demands around the clock. Taylor and Brannon controlled every aspect of the daily living of their victims. Victims slept in the call center facility or in a “ministry” house, and Taylor and Brannon did not permit them to leave without permission. Taylor demanded that his armor bearers transport women from ministry houses, airports, and other locations to Taylor’s location and ensured the women transported to Taylor took Plan B emergency contraceptives, the indictment says.
In addition, according to the indictment, Taylor and Brannon required victims to work in the call centers long hours without pay or perform other services for Taylor. Taylor set unobtainable daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly monetary donation goals for victims working in the call centers and required victims to follow the orders he created without question. If victims disobeyed an order or failed to reach his monetary goals, Taylor and Brannon punished the victims with public humiliation, additional work, food and shelter restrictions, psychological abuse, forced repentance, sleep deprivation, physical assaults, and threats of divine judgment in the form of sickness, accidents, and eternal damnation, the indictment says.
The church allegedly received millions of dollars in donations each year through its call centers. Taylor and Brannon used much of the money to purchase luxury homes, luxury vehicles, and sporting equipment such as a boat, jet skis, and ATVs. In total, Taylor received approximately $50 million in donations since 2014.
Upon conviction, the government's charge of Conspiracy to Commit Forced Labor could carry up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000.
The charge of Forced Labor could result in up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000.
The charge of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering could result in up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $500,000 or twice the value of the properties involved in the money laundering transactions.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
Taylor and Brannon's attorneys have not yet been identified.
