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491

Raid of church leader’s Florida mansion reveals 57 forced laborers, feds say (www.miamiherald.com)

submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

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An FBI raid revealed 57 victims of forced labor living in cramped quarters at a lavish Florida mansion connected to the leaders of a church, federal officials say.

The raid, which targeted a Tampa mansion where one of the leaders lived, was carried out in August, but recently filed court records brought new details to light, including the scale of the organization’s alleged illegal operations, WTVT reported.

David Taylor, 53, and Michelle Brannon, 56, are accused of running a forced labor and money laundering scheme through their church, Kingdom of God Global Church, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The church is headquartered in Michigan.

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[–] tal@olio.cafe 84 points 3 days ago (2 children)

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-self-professed-religious-leaders-who-used-physical-and-psychological-abuse-coerce

forced labor and money laundering conspiracy

Taylor and Brannon, according to the indictment, compelled their victims to work at their call centers and to work for Taylor as his “armor bearers.” Armor bearers were Taylors’s personal servants who fulfilled Taylor’s demands around the clock. Taylor and Brannon controlled every aspect of the daily living of their victims. Victims slept in the call center facility or in a “ministry” house, and Taylor and Brannon did not permit them to leave without permission. 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.

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.

KOGGC/JMMI received millions of dollars in donations each year through its call centers. Taylor and Brannon used much of the money to purchase luxury properties, luxury vehicles, and sporting equipment such as a boat, jet skis, and ATVs. In total, Taylor received approximately $50 million in donations since 2014.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/religion/article/houston-ministry-investigation-21083278.php

Recent court filings show Kingdom of God Global Church leader David E. Taylor suspected federal agents would raid his properties, and he believed he was a “general” leading the “end time army.” Taylor was accused of expecting his workers to wage war against anyone seeking to interfere with his mission.

“I am just telling you, you kill them on contact if they come in here with that foolishness, you understand? They need to die,” Taylor told his workers, according to court documents.

I mean, as long as that was what God wanted, I guess it all seems pretty reasonable.

[–] watson387@sopuli.xyz 23 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Yeah. He was quoting Jeezus when he said "They need to die."

[–] bradorsomething@ttrpg.network 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Flip money tables to slow them down, and whip them if you get the chance!

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

jesus wasn't flipping money tables over slavery. that's soley for doing business in the temple. (he wasn't even anti-capitalist. he just thought the sheep smelled like shit and they was disrespecting him....) (yeah, somebody should tell all the churches that host starbucks locations.)

Jesus literally had more to say about paying taxes than slavery- despite probably seeing slaves on a daily basis.

[–] village604@adultswim.fan 0 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

The Bible is full of rules regarding slavery best practices. I even think Jesus was pro slavery.