Two US Church Leaders Arrested Over Alleged 50 Million Human Trafficking and Fraud Scheme

Two leaders of the Kingdom of God Global Church were arrested on Wednesday after coordinated FBI raids across several states, following a federal indictment that accuses them of running a multi million dollar forced labour and money laundering operation.

The US Department of Justice said Michelle Brannon, 56, was taken into custody at a mansion in Hillsborough County near Tampa, while David Taylor, 53, was arrested in North Carolina. The pair lead the church, formerly known as Joshua Media Ministries International. Taylor refers to himself as Apostle and Brannon as his Executive Director, according to the DOJ.

Agents carried out additional searches, including at a church owned property in the exclusive Avila neighbourhood and a church owned hotel in Houston. A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan returned a 10 count indictment alleging Taylor and Brannon operated call centres in Florida, Texas, Missouri, and Michigan to solicit donations and to recruit followers to work long hours without pay. Some were assigned as personal aides known as armour bearers and were allegedly not allowed to leave housing or call centre sites without permission.

Prosecutors say the church raised about 50 million dollars in donations since 2014, with large sums allegedly used for luxury homes, vehicles, and recreational equipment such as boats, jet skis, and ATVs. The indictment also alleges the defendants directed victims to transport women to Taylor and to ensure those women took Plan B emergency contraceptives.

Taylor and Brannon each face charges of forced labour, conspiracy to commit forced labour, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each count carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. The DOJ noted that the forced labour charges carry fines up to 250,000 dollars, while the money laundering conspiracy carries up to 500,000 dollars in fines or twice the value of the laundered property.

Justice Department officials said combating human trafficking remains a top priority and credited a multi state effort by FBI field offices and IRS Criminal Investigation. Investigators described the alleged conduct as deeply troubling and pledged continued enforcement against human exploitation and financial crimes.

Brannon made an initial appearance in federal court in Tampa on Wednesday afternoon. The judge continued the hearing to Thursday and directed her to secure counsel locally after questions arose about her legal representation.