08/31/2025
Church' leaders arrested in alleged trafficking ring that solicited $50M in donations Federal authorities arrested the alleged leaders of a multi-state human trafficking ring that they say lured in trafficking victims under false pretenses and had them solicit donations under the guise that they were working for a religious ministry, prosecutors said.
David Taylor, 53, and Michelle Brannon, 56, were arrested on Thursday, Aug. 27, after a federal grand jury indicted them on 10 counts, including conspiracy to commit forced labor and money laundering conspiracy, according to a Justice Department news release. Taylor was apprehended in Durham, North Carolina, and Brannon in Tampa, Florida. The case is being prosecuted in the Eastern District of Michigan. Taylor and Brannon implored victims to work at call centers and solicit donations for their supposed ministry, according to the indictment. Victims were also allegedly forced to work as Taylor's "personal servants," which he called his βarmor bearers," the indictment said.
The call centers they set up β in Michigan, Missouri, Florida and Texas β received millions of dollars in donations each year, which Taylor and Brannon mainly used to purchase luxury properties and vehicles, according to the indictment. Since 2014, the scheme brought in around $50 million in crooked donations, the prosecutors' news release said. The ring not only victimized callers, it also victimized individuals who donated to the centers in Michigan, Florida, Texas and Missouri, the Justice Department said.
Attorneys for Taylor and Brannon were unavailable for comment when contacted by the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, on Thursday, Aug. 27. Trafficking ring ran under guise of religious ministry, indictment says
According to the indictment, Taylor and Brannon initiated their scheme in 2014, utilizing an organization known as the Kingdom of God Global Church, formerly referred to as Joshua Media Ministries International. Taylor referred to himself as the "Apostle" of the church, while Brannon was his executive director.