DOJ: FBI search at Avila mansion linked to church's 'forced labor and money laundering conspiracy'

Описание: The FBI's response Wednesday at a mansion in the Avila neighborhood of Tampa is linked to the arrest of church leaders on federal forced labor and money laundering charges: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/loc...

A federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment against 53-year-old David E. Taylor and 56-year-old Michelle Brannon —leaders of "The Kingdom of God Global Church" — for their alleged roles in a forced labor and money laundering conspiracy that spanned Florida, Michigan, Texas and Missouri.

Taylor, who calls himself the church's "apostle," and Brannon, the church's "executive director," were arrested Wednesday in "a nationwide takedown of their forced labor organization," according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Taylor and Brannon are accused of coercing victims to work at call centers soliciting donations for the church and to work as personal servants or "armor bearers" for Taylor.

The DOJ says Taylor and Brannon controlled "every aspect" of their victims' daily lives, including forcing them to sleep in call centers or "ministry" houses.

"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," the document reads.

Taylor and Brannon are accused of requiring victims to work long hours in the call center without pay, forcing them to follow orders and setting unattainable monetary donation goals.

"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," the DOJ release says.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Kingdom of God Global Church received millions of dollars in donations through the call centers, which Taylor and Brannon used to purchase luxury properties, vehicles, boats, Jet Skis and ATVs.

Taylor has reportedly received approximately $50 million in donations since 2014.

The charges include:

Conspiracy to commit forced labor, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine
Forced labor, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine
Conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine

Brannon will appear today on the indictment in Tampa, while Taylor will appear today on the indictment in Durham, North Carolina.

“Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Department of Justice,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division wrote in the release. “We are committed to relentlessly pursuing and ending this scourge and obtaining justice for the victims.”

According to a 2022 article from the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the Kingdom of God Global Church in Taylor, Michigan, purchased the estate from Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz and her husband for $8.3 million.

The sale reportedly included the 28,893-square-foot main house and a 2,620-square-foot guest house.

Avila is an affluent residential community in North Tampa.