this post was submitted on 05 Oct 2025
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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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[–] JigglySackles@lemmy.world 10 points 2 hours ago

...so slaves. Just say slaves.

[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 22 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Modern slavery. Call it what it is.

[–] ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 14 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Presidental pardon in 3...

[–] ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml 3 points 11 hours ago

I hate how true this is.

[–] TheJesusaurus@sh.itjust.works 224 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Slaves? There's a word for that right. It's slaves. What's this forced labour

[–] watson387@sopuli.xyz 62 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I just said that exact thing to my wife after reading. They need to call that shit what it is.

[–] Signtist@bookwyr.me 5 points 11 hours ago

News companies are for-profit. So long as its more profitable to use milquetoast headlines to avoid angering people who don't like the facts, they'll keep doing it.

[–] SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml 56 points 1 day ago (1 children)

And it's not underage sex, it's RAPE.

[–] capt_wolf@lemmy.world 44 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Child rape... Specificity is important there.

[–] SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml 18 points 1 day ago

YES, thank you for that correction. It is an important distinction.

[–] Psythik@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

We can't otherwise the centrists will get upset.

[–] Archangel1313@lemmy.ca 45 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Florida doesn't recognize that word. It's too "woke".

[–] magikmw@piefed.social 3 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Is it woke to be a slave master?

[–] crandlecan@mander.xyz 3 points 20 hours ago

Only on grinder ;)

[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 56 points 1 day ago

Fuck religion.

It's a fucking cancer

[–] tal@olio.cafe 83 points 1 day 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 1 day ago (1 children)

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

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

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

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day 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 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

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

[–] empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 21 hours ago

Must be one of those transgender churches I keep hearing about.

[–] crandlecan@mander.xyz 26 points 1 day ago

Ah, see. That's where they fracked up. Global Church. Go with the times... It's America first. Heil Agent Orange, the piper that needs to get paid.