The Kingdom of God Global Church, Legal, His Way Spirit Led Assemblies
The Roys Report: FBI Raids Ministry's Properties in Four States, Charges Leaders With Using Psychological and Physical Abuse to Coerce Victims into Soliciting Millions
"The FBI today arrested the leaders of Joshua Media Ministries International (JMMI) in a series of raids across several states for allegedly using psychological and physical abuse to coerce victims into soliciting millions.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, JMMI leaders, David Taylor and Michelle Brannon, ran a forced labor organization and a multi-million-dollar money laundering conspiracy. The department called the arrests a "nationwide takedown" of a human trafficking scheme that operated in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri.
Taylor, 53, and Brannon, 56, were taken into custody this morning in North Carolina and Florida, after a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan returned a ten-count indictment.
Additionally, the FBI raided JMMI properties in Tampa, Houston, North Carolina, and Michigan this morning, according to reports from multiple news sites."
WTSP: DOJ: FBI search at Avila mansion linked to church's 'forced labor and money laundering conspiracy'
"The FBI's response Wednesday at a mansion in the Avila neighborhood of Tampa is linked to the arrest of church leaders on federal forced labor and money laundering charges.
A federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment against 53-year-old David E. Taylor and 56-year-old Michelle Brannon —leaders of "The Kingdom of God Global Church" — for their alleged roles in a forced labor and money laundering conspiracy that spanned Florida, Michigan, Texas and Missouri.
In addition to the response in Tampa, the FBI confirmed it conducted an operation early Wednesday morning at a property in Houston owned by Joshua Media Ministries International, the former name of Kingdom of God Global Church.
Taylor, who calls himself the church's "apostle," and Brannon, the church's "executive director," were arrested Wednesday in "a nationwide takedown of their forced labor organization," according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Taylor and Brannon are accused of coercing victims to work at call centers soliciting donations for the church and to work as personal servants or "armor bearers" for Taylor.
The DOJ says Taylor and Brannon controlled "every aspect" of their victims' daily lives, including forcing them to sleep in call centers or "ministry" houses.
"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 document reads.
Taylor and Brannon are accused of requiring victims to work long hours in the call center without pay, forcing them to follow orders and setting unattainable monetary donation goals.
"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 release says.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Kingdom of God Global Church received millions of dollars in donations through the call centers, which Taylor and Brannon used to purchase luxury properties, vehicles, boats, Jet Skis and ATVs.
Taylor has reportedly received approximately $50 million in donations since 2014.
Church donations used to fund lavish lifestyle, FBI says
Court documents emphasize that the millions in donations were collected "under the guise of a religious ministry."
According to the indictment, here are some of the items purchased by Taylor and Brannon:
• Mercedes-Benz — $63,195.94• Bentley Continental (downpayment) — $70,000.00• Crownline Boat — $105,595.00• Bentley Continental (downpayment) — $15,000.00• Bentley Mulsanne — $50,000.00• Mercedes-Benz — $14,908.00• Mercedes-Benz — $13,695.00• Mercedes-Benz — $12,485.00• 5 ATVs — $31,805.00• 2 Jet Skis and 1 Jet Ski trailer — $24,332.00• 2 Jet Skis and 1 Jet Ski trailer — $24,962.20• 125 lbs. of super colossal red king crab legs, 6 seafood shears, and 30 crab cutters — $10,353.44• Rolls Royce Cullinan (lease signing payment) — $123,028.09• Bulletproof automotive — $33,930.00• Bulletproof automotive — $32,630.00• Bulletproof automotive — $37,500.00• Bulletproof automotive — $18,302.76
Charges for church leaders arrested after FBI search in Tampa
The charges Taylor and Brannon are facing include:
• Conspiracy to commit forced labor, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine• Forced labor, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine• Conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine
Brannon will appear today on the indictment in Tampa, while Taylor will appear today on the indictment in Durham, North Carolina.
"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 wrote in the release. "We are committed to relentlessly pursuing and ending this scourge and obtaining justice for the victims."
According to a 2022 article from the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the Kingdom of God Global Church in Taylor, Michigan, purchased the estate from Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz and her husband for $8.3 million.
The sale reportedly included the 28,893-square-foot main house and a 2,620-square-foot guest house.
Avila is an affluent residential community in North Tampa.
10 Tampa Bay: DOJ: FBI search at Avila mansion linked to church's 'forced labor and money laundering conspiracy'
" ... [David E. Taylor and 56-year-old Michelle Brannon —leaders of "The Kingdom of God Global Church] are accused of coercing victims to work at call centers soliciting donations for the church and to work as personal servants or "armor bearers" for Taylor.
The DOJ says Taylor and Brannon controlled "every aspect" of their victims' daily lives, including forcing them to sleep in call centers or "ministry" houses.
"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 document reads.
Taylor and Brannon are accused of requiring victims to work long hours in the call center without pay, forcing them to follow orders and setting unattainable monetary donation goals.
"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 release says.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Kingdom of God Global Church received millions of dollars in donations through the call centers, which Taylor and Brannon used to purchase luxury properties, vehicles, boats, Jet Skis and ATVs.
Taylor has reportedly received approximately $50 million in donations since 2014."
"Detectives in San Bernardino may have caught a break in a more than two-year-old missing persons case that they are now investigating as a possible homicide.
Emilio Ghanem, 40, vanished in May 2023 while on a trip to the Inland Empire. He was last seen at a Starbucks in Redlands.
At the center of the investigation into Ghanem's disappearance and possible murder, according to the Redlands Police Department, is a Hemet-based religious group known as His Way Spirit Led Assemblies run by a woman named Kathryn Martin who goes by the title "prophetess," and her husband, Pastor Muzic.
A former member of the organization who did not want to be identified explained to KTLA that the group believes the prophetess is God on Earth.
"When the spirit of God comes over her, everything changes in her, like her voice changes, the way she talks changes, and everything has to be quiet," he said.
Martin and her husband reportedly have complete control over the group, which, according to the former member, is always preparing for the end of times, storing enough packaged food, water and other supplies to last for years.
Ghanem had been a member of the California group for more than 20 years and just prior to his disappearance, he'd left the organization and quit the pest control company the group runs to move back to Nashville where his family was."
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