LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — He called himself an “Apostle” and even bragged of being “Jesus’ best friend.” But federal prosecutors say David Taylor was no shepherd—he was a wolf in the pulpit.
Forced labor and money laundering.
Taylor, 53, and his associate Michelle Brannon, 56, stand accused of running a $50 million forced-labor and money-laundering scheme through what they called the Kingdom of God Global Church. According to an indictment unsealed August 27, the pair coerced followers—dubbed “Armor Bearers”—into working brutal shifts in call centers that solicited fake charity donations.
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The money, investigators allege, paid not for missions or ministry but for Taylor’s luxuries: Rolls Royce, Bentley, boat, and Jet Skis, The Detroit News reported. Prosecutors say he even had his followers pose as homeless to collect food stamps, only to hand them over to feed church staff instead of the needy.
The scam reaches across multiple states.
The indictment describes victims cut off from family, forbidden outside jobs, forced to sleep at the call centers, and punished if they fell short of fundraising quotas. Consequences ranged from food deprivation to public humiliation. Texts prosecutors attribute to Taylor included commands like: “We have to raise $50K by midnight” and “I don’t care if you’re tired.”
One rule was especially disturbing: women under his control were allegedly shuttled to Taylor and forced to take Plan B contraceptives. Federal officials say the scam pulled in millions annually since 2014, stretching across Florida, Michigan, Missouri, and Texas.
“Money laundering is tax evasion in progress,” IRS special agent Karen Wingerd said, noting the scheme “funded an alleged human trafficking ring and supported a luxury lifestyle under the guise of a religious ministry.”
Taylor and Brannon were arrested in North Carolina and Florida and will be extradited to Detroit. Both face charges of conspiracy to commit forced labor and money laundering—crimes that carry up to 20 years in prison.