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The heads of a Florida church are facing allegations of forcing numerous individuals into enslavement within a packed mansion, as part of a money laundering operation that spanned multiple states to support their extravagant lifestyle.
David Taylor, aged 53, leads the Kingdom of God Global Church, and alongside accomplice Michelle Brannon, 56, they have been charged with orchestrating a forced labor scheme that has allegedly amassed over $50 million since 2014.
According to prosecutors, these unpaid workers were coerced through physical and mental abuse to manage call centers in five different states and serve Taylor personally.
Disturbing documents show 57 individuals were confined in a Tampa mansion, isolated from the outside world while subjected to severe conditions.
Expensive, human-sized stone statues kept in crates and luxury vehicles topped with gift-wrapping were also discovered at the mansion.
In the mansion, described as a hidden fortress, vulnerable staff, including minors, were forced to sleep on the floors, occupy the garage, and had restricted access to bathrooms, as per investigator reports.
Taylor and Brannon are accused of denying food and sleep to the workers and threatening them with violence if they disobeyed orders.
The bone-chilling plot began to unravel when they were both arrested in August.
Alarming new documents have revealed 57 victims were crammed inside a Tampa mansion (pictured) – cut off from the outside world as they endured harrowing conditions
Florida church leaders stand accused of enslaving dozens of victims inside a crowded mansion while running a multi-state money laundering operation
Brannon, who resided at the massive Tampa house of horrors, was detained in Florida. Taylor was arrested in North Carolina, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
At the time, the church’s headquarters in Houston, Texas, was raided by the FBI and SWAT teams, with officers walking out 17 people, some of them handcuffed. Authorities also swarmed other centers.
Before the blitzes, Taylor allegedly told his workers: ‘They gonna be in here with their FBI jackets on… you don’t scare me. God’s gonna to get you.’
In an August press release, the department claimed the pair had been running their money laundering operation and forcing people to work across Michigan, Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Missouri.
Beyond the Tampa location, it is unclear how many other victims were lured into the plot while seeking out religious fulfillment.
The indictment alleged Taylor declared himself an ‘Apostle’ and Brannon his executive director. Prosecutors said they had been romantically involved.
They had allegedly been operating various call centers where workers were forced to work 24-hour shifts. Others had to serve as ‘armor bearers’ for Taylor.
These ‘armor bearers’ were allegedly Taylor’s personal servants. They were at his beck and call – even delivering him women who had to take Plan B after their encounters, according to the indictment.
The church’s website, which is still active, claims the lord has given Taylor (pictured) ‘a special teaching ministry’ to bring people closer to God
Luxury vehicles topped with gift-wrapping (pictured) were also discovered at the mansion
Taylor set unreasonable quotas for the laborers and punished them with public humiliation, abuse and forced repentance when those goals went unmet, the indictment claimed
In one text message allegedly sent by Taylor to one of his call center workers, he said, ‘If you don’t work you can’t eat.’
‘POUR WATER ON EVERYONES FACES THAT’S HALFWAY SLEEPING AND NOT WORKING WAKE THEM UP NOW!!’ he allegedly wrote.
The money was raised under the guise of donations to charitable causes, but investigators claimed that it had actually been used to fund Taylor and Brannon’s extravagant lifestyles.
Prosecutors said the donations went toward buying four Mercedes-Benzes, three Bentleys and a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, a luxury SUV that can retail for nearly $630,000.
Funds also allegedly went toward four jet skis, two trailers and five ATVs.
‘Money laundering is tax evasion in progress,’ Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of IRS Criminal Investigation of the Detroit Filed Office said.
Stone statues in cages (pictured) were retrieved from the lavish Tampa mansion
The church’s headquarters (pictured)in Houston, Texas, was raided by the FBI and SWAT teams
‘The proceeds funded an alleged human trafficking ring and supported a luxury lifestyle under the guise of a religious ministry.’
Despite Taylor and Brannon remaining in federal custody, the Kingdom of God Global Church is still operating its 24/7 miracle prayer line.
The church’s website, which is also still active, claims the lord has given Taylor ‘a special teaching ministry’ to bring people closer to God.
