The Department of Justice announced yesterday that a federal grand jury in Michigan has handed down a 10-count, 21-page, indictment (full text) charging the leader and the executive director of the Kingdom of God Global Church (KOGGC) with violations of statutes outlawing forced labor, as well as with money laundering. The indictment charges that defendant David Taylor has established call centers around the country to raise funds purportedly to support the operations of KOGGC. He recruits individuals to work as unpaid phone solicitors. They have raised millions of dollars which have been used by Taylor to support his extravagant lifestyle. He also recruits individuals to work as his unpaid "armor bearers". They function as his personal servants. Executive director Michelle Brannon enforces Taylor's rules. Victims were required to cut off family or friends that questioned the arrangements. According to the indictment:
13. If a call center worker or armor bearer does not fulfill TAYLOR's goals, or disobeys an order, that person is punished.
14. Punishment includes humiliation, sleep deprivation, forced "repentance," additional work, food restrictions, physical assaults, and threats of divine judgment in the form of sickness, accidents, death, and eternal damnation.
15. TAYLOR regularly claims that if an individual fails to obey his orders and commands, they are defying God and will suffer in Hell.