‘Religious leaders’ accused of using followers as personal servants, forced laborers at call centers in several states

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Two “self-professed religious leaders” were indicted Wednesday on federal charges alleging the organization forced its members into labor, isolated them and threatened to withhold food, among other alleged abuses.

David Taylor, 53, and Michelle Brannon, 56, were arrested Wednesday in Durham, North Carolina, and Tampa, Florida, respectively. The indictment identifies them as the leaders of Kingdom of God Global Church, formerly known as Joshua Media Ministries International.

The indictment included an address in Tampa’s affluent Avila neighborhood, where the FBI executed a search warrant on Wednesday morning.

Taylor described himself as an “Apostle and Jesus’ best friend,” claiming to have had multiple face-to-face encounters with God, according to the indictment. Brannon was described as the organization’s executive director.

The Department of Justice alleged the pair forced church members to staff call centers located in Michigan, Florida, Texas and Missouri, and to serve as Taylor’s “armor bearers.” They lived at the call centers or in a “ministry house” and were not allowed to leave without permission.

“Armor bearers were Taylor’s personal servants who fulfilled Taylor’s demands around the clock,” the DOJ wrote in a news release. “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 call center workers were subjected to long hours without pay, tasked with “unobtainable” goals for obtaining donations to the church.

“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 DOJ said.

Taylor and Brannon were accused of using millions of dollars in donations each year to fund their lavish lifestyle, which included buying luxury properties, pricey cars, and items like boats, ATVs and jet skis. The indictment said the church has received $50 million in donations since 2014.

“For twelve years, Brannon has loyally followed Taylor’s instructions and teachings,” the indictment said. “His teachings include encouraging self-inflicted violence and violence against others, including law enforcement, when and if his organization is confronted by law enforcement.”

During a meeting with workers, Taylor was accused of condoning violence against federal agents that may target the church.

“God’s gonna to get you. And I am going to make sure he do, too. I am going to make sure I speed it up,” Taylor said, according to the indictment. “I’m going to be looking at you in Hell and you are going to be having your little FBI jacket on. Who gonna save you then?”

“I have been given power by the only one who counts,” Taylor allegedly said. “We will watch you burn and the flesh melt off of your bones.”

Taylor and Brannon were each charged with conspiracy to commit forced labor, forced labor, and money laundering. If convicted, Taylor and Brannon could face between 20 to 60 years in prison, Nexstar’s WNCN reported.

“Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Department of Justice,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division was quoted as saying in a Wednesday news release. “We are committed to relentlessly pursuing and ending this scourge and obtaining justice for the victims.”