US Pastors Arrested In $50m Human Trafficking and Fraud Scheme
Two American church leaders have been arrested in a sweeping FBI operation for allegedly running a $50 million human trafficking and fraud ring disguised as a religious ministry.
The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed that Michelle Brannon, 56, was arrested at a luxury mansion in Tampa, Florida, while David Taylor, 53, was taken into custody in North Carolina.
Both are accused of operating a criminal enterprise through the Kingdom of God Global Church, formerly known as Joshua Media Ministries International.
Federal prosecutors allege the pair forced victims to work in church-owned call centres across Florida, Texas, Missouri, and Michigan, where they were pressured into soliciting donations and serving as unpaid personal aides.
Victims were allegedly confined to “ministry houses,” denied freedom of movement, and compelled to transport women to Taylor, who demanded they take emergency contraceptives.
According to a 10-count indictment, the scheme generated about $50 million since 2014, funding lavish purchases including mansions, luxury cars, boats, and jet skis.
Taylor and Brannon now face charges of forced labour, conspiracy to commit forced labour, and conspiracy to commit money laundering each carrying up to 20 years in federal prison.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the DOJ was “relentlessly pursuing justice for the victims,” while U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. vowed to use “every lawful tool against human traffickers.”
The FBI praised the coordinated raids across Tampa, Jacksonville, St. Louis, Charlotte, and Houston, as well as support from IRS investigators, who accused the church leaders of laundering money “under the guise of a religious ministry.”
Brannon appeared briefly in federal court in Tampa on Wednesday, but without legal representation. The judge ordered her to secure a lawyer before her next hearing, scheduled for Thursday.
