DETROIT – A federal grand jury in Michigan returned a 10-count indictment against two self-professed religious leaders accused of running a forced labor and money laundering conspiracy that victimized individuals in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri.

Federal prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said David Taylor, 53, and Michelle Brannon, 56, operated a modified human trafficking ring for more than a decade under the name Kingdom of God Global Church, formerly Joshua Media Ministries International.

The indictment alleges the organization operated call centers that would solicit donations for KOGGC/JMMI every day. Taylor established his first call center in Michigan and subsequent facilities in Florida, Texas, and Missouri.

Taylor and Brannon required victims to work long hours in the call centers without paying them. They slept in the call center or in a ministry house, with Taylor and Brannon controlling their daily lives and activities.

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Some victims were designated Taylor’s “armor bearers” and would act as personal servants who tended to Taylor’s needs around the clock. This included driving him around and bringing women to his location. Armor bearers were also tasked with ensuring these women took Plan B emergency contraceptives.

Anytime the victims disobeyed or failed to reach donation goals, prosecutors said Taylor and Brannon deployed a wide arsenal of punishments, including public humiliation, increased workloads, sleep deprivation, food restrictions, forced “repentance,” psychological abuse, physical assault, and threats of divine judgment in the form of sickness, accidents, death, and eternal damnation.

According to the indictment, KOGGC/JMMI received approximately $50 million in call center donations since 2014, which Taylor and Brannon used to buy luxury properties, luxury vehicles, a boat, jet skis, and ATVs.

Taylor and Brannon were arrested Wednesday in North Carolina and Florida, respectively. They’ve both been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit forced labor, eight counts of forced labor, and one count of money laundering conspiracy.

Each count carries a 20-year sentence and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

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