Overview

• David E. Taylor, 53, and Michelle Brannon, 56, were arrested in Durham, North Carolina, and Tampa, Florida, as agents executed coordinated searches at properties, including a Houston facility.
• The Eastern District of Michigan case charges conspiracy to commit forced labor, multiple forced-labor counts, and conspiracy to commit money laundering tied to operations in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri.
• Authorities say followers lived at call centers or ministry houses, could not leave without permission, and served as round-the-clock “armor bearers,” with women transported to Taylor and required to take Plan B.
• The indictment details punishments for missed donation goals—public humiliation, sleep and food deprivation, physical assaults, and threats of divine judgment—and alleges victims’ EBT/SNAP benefits were taken for ministry use.
• Prosecutors estimate about $50 million in donations since 2014, identify luxury assets for potential forfeiture, and note initial court appearances are underway; the defendants are presumed innocent.