September 14, 2025 • 15 mins
They are accused of conspiracy to commit forced labor, forced labor, and money laundering conspiracy. The document alleges that Taylor, through his organization Kingdom of God Global Church (KOGGC), operated call centers and used "armor bearers" who were unpaid and subjected to various forms of abuse, including sleep deprivation, physical assault, and threats. The indictment further outlines how donations to KOGGC, totaling approximately $50 million since 2014, were allegedly misused by Taylor and Brannon to fund extravagant personal lifestyles and acquire luxury items, constituting money laundering from the proceeds of the forced labor.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
You found the podcast Go Beyond the Brief, where we
take a deep dive into the societal currents shaping our lives. Together,
we'll explore the often unseen forces at play. We'll examine
the research, dissect the data, and most importantly, if you're
seeking to understand what's shaping our society, this is the
place today.
Speaker 4 (00:22):
We're plunging into.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Well a really fascinating but also frankly quite unsettling legal document.
It's an indictment filed by the United States District Court
Eastern District of Michigan, dated July twenty three to twenty
twenty five.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
And for anyone not used to reading these, remember, an
indictment is an accusation from a grand jury, not a
conviction exactly.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
It lays out the alleged crimes.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
So our mission today for this deep dive is to
really unpack the serious allegations here. We want to try
and understand the intricate system it describes and get the
key insights into how these kinds of operations are alleged
to function.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
We're looking at.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Accusations painting a picture of well coercion control, big financial gain,
all supposedly under the banner of a religious group.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
And what's so striking, I think, is how this legal document,
which you might think is dry, just pulls back the
curtain on these really complex human dynamics. Yeah, it's not
just a list. It really details the meticulous work the
investigation that goes into describing alleged forced labor and money laundering.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Right as we go through it, you see not just
what allegedly happened, but the how, the methods, the system,
the scale.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
It's quite something.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
It really highlights that alleged paradox, doesn't it claims of
divine connection but leading to what looks like deep human exploitation.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
So to understand this whole web, let's start with the
individuals named at the center and these claims they allegedly
use to build this kingdom. Okay, the main defendants named
are David Taylor D one in the document and Michelle
Brannon D.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Two and stepping back bit, the indictment identifies Taylor as
the leader of this Kingdom of God Global Church KOGGC
KOGGC right, which used to be known as Joshua Media
Ministry's International or jmm I.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Ah okay jmm I, and.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Brannan is described as the executive director, basically allegedly assisting
tailor carrying out his orders.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
So a clear hierarchy there, and.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
This religious leader angle, I mean, claiming face to face
encounters with God. The indictment suggests this wasn't just talk,
was it. It was key to his authority. That seems
to do the core allegation. Yeah, The document says, he
calls himself apostle and Jesus's best friend, Wow, claims multiple
face to face encounters with God and that God gave
(02:40):
him the keys to the Kingdom on Earth.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
That's quite a claim.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
It's a huge claim. And the indictment suggests this self
proclaimed divine status was foundational to the alleged control.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Right, it makes sense if people believe that defying him
is like defying God exactly.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
So. The document then describes KOGGC setting up call centers
not just in Taylor, Michigan, but Missouri, Florida, Texas too,
and the alleged purpose using phone solicitors to raise money
from donors, supposedly for kotgc's operations and ministry.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
And who are these solicitors?
Speaker 2 (03:16):
This is where the economic disparity really starts to show up,
asn't it seems so.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
These phone solicitors and also others Taylor called armor bearers.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Armor bearer yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Described basically as personal servants. They were allegedly unpaid, paid
while KOGC, the indictment claims, pulled in millions, roughly fifty
million dollars since twenty fourteen, fifty million dollars, and Taylor
allegedly used that for an extravagant personal lifestyle. Residences, flights, cars,
luxury goods, you name it.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
So, this huge gap between the unpaid labor and the
leader's alleged lifestyle, the indictment suggests that was almost part
of the control mechanism.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
It certainly paints that picture. The leader's alleged opulence reinforces
his status maybe, while the followers alleged deprivation keeps them dependent.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
And these armor bearers, their duties were quite specific, weren't they?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Oh, very specific according to the document, not just general help,
allegedly providing food for tailor, driving him, maintaining homes and cars,
transport women from ministry houses, airports, and this is quite intrusive,
allegedly ensuring women transported to Taylor to plan B contraceptives.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Wow, that level of alleged personal demand plus no pay.
It really sets the stage for the broader force labor
claims it does.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
It shows a really specific alleged control, even before we
get to the main charges.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
Which are serious.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
The indictment charges Taylor and Brandon with conspiracy to commit
forced labor, and the alleged methods listed are pretty chilling. Force,
threats of force, physical restraint, threats of serious harm, abuse
of law, this whole scheme to get uncompensated labor.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
And building on that. What really stands out is just
the breadth of the alleged control. Yeah, the defendants are
accused of controlling particularly every aspect of the daily living
of these victims. It wasn't just about work.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
It sounds like a total dismantling of their autonomy.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
That's the allegation, demanding victims cut off family, friends, anyone
who questioned Taylor or KOGGC, isolating them exactly. Full time
staff allegedly had to quit outside jobs, creating this like
sealed environment where the control could just fester.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
So it wasn't just what they did for KGGC, but
their entire lives were managed.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Where did they even live well?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
The indictment says, victims allegedly slept right in the call
center facilities or in these ministry houses, mystry houses, and
it lists addresses specific places in Michigan, Missouri, Florida, Texas,
plus strict control over personal lives, even prohibiting dating within KOGGC. Magedly,
it's a picture of a really insular world.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
And beyond where they lived.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
The indictment mentioned something about government benefits EBT cards.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Yes, that's another layer. Taylor and Brannan allegedly demanded victims
apply for EBT Election Chronic Benefits Transfer cards okay, and
claim to be homeless to get them, then supposedly hand
the cards over to KOGC staff.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
And why what was the alleged to purpose of that.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
The allegation is that these EBT funds and also s
and a FP funds food stamps were used to buy
food for KOGGC staff.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
So exploiting public resources on top of the individuals.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
That's what's alleged, diverting welfare funds while controlling the victims
basic food supply. It's quite a system described here.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
So for the people actually working in those call centers,
what did this alleged system mean day to day, especially with.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Their work well. The indictment claims they were told to
lie to donorshy how falsely state that donations were for charity,
like water wells in poor countries, or helping trafficking victims,
things like that. But meanwhile, these solicitors were allegedly given
these unobtainable monetary donation quotas daily, weekly, monthly quotas they just.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Couldn't meet, setting them up to fail.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
It seems that way failures built in, which then justifies
the alleged punishments if they missed targets or disobeyed orders.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
And what were these alleged punishments.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
The document gets into some disturbing mechanisms of coercion here
it does.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
It talks about rebukings, rebuking, yeah, large group meetings, victims
allegedly publicly humiliated, subjected to yelling, sometimes forced to kneel
in an attitude of repentance, public humiliation, and alleged physical assaults,
threats of more violence during these sessions, which could apparently
last minutes or even hours hours wow. Other alleged punishments
(07:31):
included extra work, restricting food to shelter, psychological abuse, sleep deprivation.
It sounds like a systematic way to break someone down.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
And the threats weren't just physical or social, were they
There was a spiritual.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Element too, a very powerful one. Allegedly, Taylor supposedly regularly
claimed that disobeying him meant defying God and suffering in.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Hell, using their faith against them.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
It appears so. The indictment also states victims were often
denied medical attention, physically abused, and instilled with this fear
of divine judgment, physical harm, eternal damnation if they even
thought about leaving KOGC.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
That adds such a potent layer of control, leveraging their
deepest beliefs absolutely, and the indictment includes some examples direct
quotes from text messages allegedly sent to victims.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
They are really something.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
They are incredibly revealing about the alleged intensity and the
dehumanizing nature of it all, Like.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
This one May fifth, twenty twenty one, allegedly from Taylor.
You'll have to raise one hundred and sixty four k today.
Each hour you fall behind, consequences will start.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
We will mess with the food, mess with the food.
You will fast from the regular food or abstain for
a while. Normally.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
As of now, there's a twenty one day, peanut butter
and jelly regiment.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Like before, peanut butter and jelly for twenty one days.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Those who do not push in their calls individually and
as a team at six pm, and they don't eat
dinner at all. If they do good afterward, they may
get a snack before bed, but not much. And this
regiment will go on every day for twenty one days
until they obey take away the food. There will be
other consequences. We must make them fast and pray.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Wow. Just laying out food deprivation as punishment, that message
alone paints such a stark picture.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
It really does the alleged fear the control.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
And there's a pattern in these alleged messages. Isn't there
threats of food deprivation, humiliation, extreme work hours, all is enforcement. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Look at this one from September nineteenth, twenty twenty one,
allegedly tailored to Michelle and Kia about a victim. Make
them all stand and tell them if the punishment of
four them don't work, I'm going to make.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
It worser and worser, escalating threats.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
They are going to get their beds out of my
house and sleep in the garage. Everyone piled in there,
This ruthless boot camp is going to get worse and
worse until they do what we are telling them. There
will only be soup, bread and water for all the
degenerates every day.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Calling them degenerates soup, bread and water, sleeping in a garage.
It shows the alleged escalation, the dehumanization.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
And just nine days later, September twenty eight, twenty twenty one,
he allegedly texted, pour water on everyone's faces.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
That's halfway sleeping and not working.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Wake them up now, pour water on their faces.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
My next level of judgment tomorrow is that it won't
be to just four am. It will be every hour
you waste in the day will be added on past forum.
Tell them all to stand now, you throw water on
their faces, especially the people not doing anything out You
tell them I don't care about them being sick.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
Doesn't care if they're sick. The alleged lack of basic
human concern is just chilling.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
It really is.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
And these quotes, the indictment presents them not as isolated incidents, right,
but as illustrations of this intense control, the psychological abuse,
blending spiritual decree with outright threats.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Exactly, And there's another one here October twenty seventh, twenty
twenty one, Taylor allegedly saying you are working until four
am and then getting up at eight am to start again. Yeah.
None of you, including top closers, will get away with
not working when we are in a dire push every day. Now,
I don't care if you are tired. You've crossed. You're
(11:00):
going to work all night and get up in the morning.
Inter I want all the names of those who are
not helping now they are going to the homeless.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Shelter es, threatening to make them homeless.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Yeah. It shows the alleged threats weren't idle. They had real,
terrifying potential consequences for these victims.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
And the indictment lists multiple counts of forced labor, each
one tied to a specific person, with timelines sometimes spanning
years one victim allegedly from two thousand and nine all
the way through twenty eighteen.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
For a decade.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
It suggests such a deeply entrenched pattern of alleged abuse, and.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
That ties directly to Count ten money laundering conspiracy. This
alleged scheme took those millions in donations. The proceeds generated
through the alleged forced labor offense, right.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
The fifty million dollars.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
And deposited them into the JMIOGC accounts. What's key here
is how those funds allegedly gotten through exploitation were then
supposedly moved around and used to hide where they came
from and to benefit the defendants.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
So we talked about the alleged forced labor, how donations
were collected. How does this connect to that lavish lifestyle
you mentioned earlier for Taylor and Brannan.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Well, the indictment claims these funds were used precisely for that,
supporting Tailor's alleged extravagant lifestyle and enriching Brannon.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
And what kind of purchases are we talking about. The
indictment gets specific, oh.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Very specific. The financial transaction details paints a really stork picture.
For instance, May twenty twenty four, a lease signing payment
of over one hundred and twenty three thousand dollars for
a Rolls Royce Cullinant Rolls were okay, alleged purchases of
multiple Mercedes Benz vehicles, Bentley Continentals, a Crown Line boat,
five ATVs, two jet skis, plus a trailer.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
It's quite a list, it is.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
And it's not just vehicles. It seems to illustrate this
alleged continuous pattern of personal enrichment funded by donations meant
for charity.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
And it wasn't just vehicles and boats, right, I remember
seeing something about seafood.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Ah. Yes, that one definitely catches the eye. September twenty
twenty one, an alleged purchase of one hundred and twenty
five pounds of super colossal red king crab legs, plus
shears and cutters, totaling over ten.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
Thousand, ten thousand dollars on crab.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Legs allegedly, and also things like bulletproof automotive services over
eighty thousand dollars spent on that across several transactions in
twenty twenty four.
Speaker 4 (13:10):
Allegedly bulletproofing.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Wow, it just paints this incredibly vivid picture, doesn't it.
The alleged disparity between the unpaid, brutalized labor and this
level of personal spending and security.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
The level of detail really underscores the investigation's meticulous nature. Yeah,
and putting this back into the legal context, it's so important.
Keeps saying this is an indictment. These are allegations from
a grand.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
Jury, not proven facts yet exactly.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
It outlines the charges against Taylor and Brandon, and significantly,
it includes criminal forfeiture allegations meaning what exactly, meaning any
property involved in or derived from these alleged crimes, the cars,
the houses, whatever, could potentially be seized by the US
government if there's.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
A conviction, so aiming to take away the financial proceeds.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Right disrupting the alleged financial infrastructure. It adds another major
layer of potential consequences.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Stepping back, what does this all mean for you, the listener?
Beyond just the details of this one case. Oh, this
deep dive gives us a really stark look, I think,
into the alleged inner workings of an organization that, according
to this document, used manipulation, fear control to exploit people
for money, all while allegedly hiding behind a religious facade.
(14:24):
The level of detailed control described over lives, money, health,
it's just profoundly impactful to read about, a sobering reminder
of how complex.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
Coercion can be.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
It really is.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
We've certainly unpacked a huge amount today. The allegation is
of forced labor. The psychological abuse, the alleged money laundering
that stark contrast.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
It's a lot to take in, it is, and it
does raise a pretty important question for all of us,
doesn't it, which how do we as a society actually
identify and protect vulnerable people from this kind of coercive control,
especially when it's masked by something seemingly legitimate like religion.
What are those subtle signs the we might be overlooking
right in front of us.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
That is definitely something for you to chew on long
after this deep dive is over.
You found the podcast Go Beyond the Brief, where we
take a deep dive into the societal currents shaping our lives. Together,
we'll explore the often unseen forces at play. We'll examine
the research, dissect the data, and most importantly, if you're
seeking to understand what's shaping our society, this is the
place today.
Speaker 4 (00:22):
We're plunging into.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Well a really fascinating but also frankly quite unsettling legal document.
It's an indictment filed by the United States District Court
Eastern District of Michigan, dated July twenty three to twenty
twenty five.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
And for anyone not used to reading these, remember, an
indictment is an accusation from a grand jury, not a
conviction exactly.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
It lays out the alleged crimes.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
So our mission today for this deep dive is to
really unpack the serious allegations here. We want to try
and understand the intricate system it describes and get the
key insights into how these kinds of operations are alleged
to function.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
We're looking at.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Accusations painting a picture of well coercion control, big financial gain,
all supposedly under the banner of a religious group.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
And what's so striking, I think, is how this legal document,
which you might think is dry, just pulls back the
curtain on these really complex human dynamics. Yeah, it's not
just a list. It really details the meticulous work the
investigation that goes into describing alleged forced labor and money laundering.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Right as we go through it, you see not just
what allegedly happened, but the how, the methods, the system,
the scale.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
It's quite something.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
It really highlights that alleged paradox, doesn't it claims of
divine connection but leading to what looks like deep human exploitation.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
So to understand this whole web, let's start with the
individuals named at the center and these claims they allegedly
use to build this kingdom. Okay, the main defendants named
are David Taylor D one in the document and Michelle
Brannon D.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Two and stepping back bit, the indictment identifies Taylor as
the leader of this Kingdom of God Global Church KOGGC
KOGGC right, which used to be known as Joshua Media
Ministry's International or jmm I.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Ah okay jmm I, and.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Brannan is described as the executive director, basically allegedly assisting
tailor carrying out his orders.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
So a clear hierarchy there, and.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
This religious leader angle, I mean, claiming face to face
encounters with God. The indictment suggests this wasn't just talk,
was it. It was key to his authority. That seems
to do the core allegation. Yeah, The document says, he
calls himself apostle and Jesus's best friend, Wow, claims multiple
face to face encounters with God and that God gave
(02:40):
him the keys to the Kingdom on Earth.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
That's quite a claim.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
It's a huge claim. And the indictment suggests this self
proclaimed divine status was foundational to the alleged control.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Right, it makes sense if people believe that defying him
is like defying God exactly.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
So. The document then describes KOGGC setting up call centers
not just in Taylor, Michigan, but Missouri, Florida, Texas too,
and the alleged purpose using phone solicitors to raise money
from donors, supposedly for kotgc's operations and ministry.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
And who are these solicitors?
Speaker 2 (03:16):
This is where the economic disparity really starts to show up,
asn't it seems so.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
These phone solicitors and also others Taylor called armor bearers.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Armor bearer yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Described basically as personal servants. They were allegedly unpaid, paid
while KOGC, the indictment claims, pulled in millions, roughly fifty
million dollars since twenty fourteen, fifty million dollars, and Taylor
allegedly used that for an extravagant personal lifestyle. Residences, flights, cars,
luxury goods, you name it.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
So, this huge gap between the unpaid labor and the
leader's alleged lifestyle, the indictment suggests that was almost part
of the control mechanism.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
It certainly paints that picture. The leader's alleged opulence reinforces
his status maybe, while the followers alleged deprivation keeps them dependent.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
And these armor bearers, their duties were quite specific, weren't they?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Oh, very specific according to the document, not just general help,
allegedly providing food for tailor, driving him, maintaining homes and cars,
transport women from ministry houses, airports, and this is quite intrusive,
allegedly ensuring women transported to Taylor to plan B contraceptives.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Wow, that level of alleged personal demand plus no pay.
It really sets the stage for the broader force labor
claims it does.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
It shows a really specific alleged control, even before we
get to the main charges.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
Which are serious.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
The indictment charges Taylor and Brandon with conspiracy to commit
forced labor, and the alleged methods listed are pretty chilling. Force,
threats of force, physical restraint, threats of serious harm, abuse
of law, this whole scheme to get uncompensated labor.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
And building on that. What really stands out is just
the breadth of the alleged control. Yeah, the defendants are
accused of controlling particularly every aspect of the daily living
of these victims. It wasn't just about work.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
It sounds like a total dismantling of their autonomy.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
That's the allegation, demanding victims cut off family, friends, anyone
who questioned Taylor or KOGGC, isolating them exactly. Full time
staff allegedly had to quit outside jobs, creating this like
sealed environment where the control could just fester.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
So it wasn't just what they did for KGGC, but
their entire lives were managed.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Where did they even live well?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
The indictment says, victims allegedly slept right in the call
center facilities or in these ministry houses, mystry houses, and
it lists addresses specific places in Michigan, Missouri, Florida, Texas,
plus strict control over personal lives, even prohibiting dating within KOGGC. Magedly,
it's a picture of a really insular world.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
And beyond where they lived.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
The indictment mentioned something about government benefits EBT cards.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Yes, that's another layer. Taylor and Brannan allegedly demanded victims
apply for EBT Election Chronic Benefits Transfer cards okay, and
claim to be homeless to get them, then supposedly hand
the cards over to KOGC staff.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
And why what was the alleged to purpose of that.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
The allegation is that these EBT funds and also s
and a FP funds food stamps were used to buy
food for KOGGC staff.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
So exploiting public resources on top of the individuals.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
That's what's alleged, diverting welfare funds while controlling the victims
basic food supply. It's quite a system described here.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
So for the people actually working in those call centers,
what did this alleged system mean day to day, especially with.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Their work well. The indictment claims they were told to
lie to donorshy how falsely state that donations were for charity,
like water wells in poor countries, or helping trafficking victims,
things like that. But meanwhile, these solicitors were allegedly given
these unobtainable monetary donation quotas daily, weekly, monthly quotas they just.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Couldn't meet, setting them up to fail.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
It seems that way failures built in, which then justifies
the alleged punishments if they missed targets or disobeyed orders.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
And what were these alleged punishments.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
The document gets into some disturbing mechanisms of coercion here
it does.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
It talks about rebukings, rebuking, yeah, large group meetings, victims
allegedly publicly humiliated, subjected to yelling, sometimes forced to kneel
in an attitude of repentance, public humiliation, and alleged physical assaults,
threats of more violence during these sessions, which could apparently
last minutes or even hours hours wow. Other alleged punishments
(07:31):
included extra work, restricting food to shelter, psychological abuse, sleep deprivation.
It sounds like a systematic way to break someone down.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
And the threats weren't just physical or social, were they
There was a spiritual.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Element too, a very powerful one. Allegedly, Taylor supposedly regularly
claimed that disobeying him meant defying God and suffering in.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Hell, using their faith against them.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
It appears so. The indictment also states victims were often
denied medical attention, physically abused, and instilled with this fear
of divine judgment, physical harm, eternal damnation if they even
thought about leaving KOGC.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
That adds such a potent layer of control, leveraging their
deepest beliefs absolutely, and the indictment includes some examples direct
quotes from text messages allegedly sent to victims.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
They are really something.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
They are incredibly revealing about the alleged intensity and the
dehumanizing nature of it all, Like.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
This one May fifth, twenty twenty one, allegedly from Taylor.
You'll have to raise one hundred and sixty four k today.
Each hour you fall behind, consequences will start.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
We will mess with the food, mess with the food.
You will fast from the regular food or abstain for
a while. Normally.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
As of now, there's a twenty one day, peanut butter
and jelly regiment.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Like before, peanut butter and jelly for twenty one days.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Those who do not push in their calls individually and
as a team at six pm, and they don't eat
dinner at all. If they do good afterward, they may
get a snack before bed, but not much. And this
regiment will go on every day for twenty one days
until they obey take away the food. There will be
other consequences. We must make them fast and pray.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Wow. Just laying out food deprivation as punishment, that message
alone paints such a stark picture.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
It really does the alleged fear the control.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
And there's a pattern in these alleged messages. Isn't there
threats of food deprivation, humiliation, extreme work hours, all is enforcement. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Look at this one from September nineteenth, twenty twenty one,
allegedly tailored to Michelle and Kia about a victim. Make
them all stand and tell them if the punishment of
four them don't work, I'm going to make.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
It worser and worser, escalating threats.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
They are going to get their beds out of my
house and sleep in the garage. Everyone piled in there,
This ruthless boot camp is going to get worse and
worse until they do what we are telling them. There
will only be soup, bread and water for all the
degenerates every day.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Calling them degenerates soup, bread and water, sleeping in a garage.
It shows the alleged escalation, the dehumanization.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
And just nine days later, September twenty eight, twenty twenty one,
he allegedly texted, pour water on everyone's faces.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
That's halfway sleeping and not working.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Wake them up now, pour water on their faces.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
My next level of judgment tomorrow is that it won't
be to just four am. It will be every hour
you waste in the day will be added on past forum.
Tell them all to stand now, you throw water on
their faces, especially the people not doing anything out You
tell them I don't care about them being sick.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
Doesn't care if they're sick. The alleged lack of basic
human concern is just chilling.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
It really is.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
And these quotes, the indictment presents them not as isolated incidents, right,
but as illustrations of this intense control, the psychological abuse,
blending spiritual decree with outright threats.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Exactly, And there's another one here October twenty seventh, twenty
twenty one, Taylor allegedly saying you are working until four
am and then getting up at eight am to start again. Yeah.
None of you, including top closers, will get away with
not working when we are in a dire push every day. Now,
I don't care if you are tired. You've crossed. You're
(11:00):
going to work all night and get up in the morning.
Inter I want all the names of those who are
not helping now they are going to the homeless.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Shelter es, threatening to make them homeless.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Yeah. It shows the alleged threats weren't idle. They had real,
terrifying potential consequences for these victims.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
And the indictment lists multiple counts of forced labor, each
one tied to a specific person, with timelines sometimes spanning
years one victim allegedly from two thousand and nine all
the way through twenty eighteen.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
For a decade.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
It suggests such a deeply entrenched pattern of alleged abuse, and.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
That ties directly to Count ten money laundering conspiracy. This
alleged scheme took those millions in donations. The proceeds generated
through the alleged forced labor offense, right.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
The fifty million dollars.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
And deposited them into the JMIOGC accounts. What's key here
is how those funds allegedly gotten through exploitation were then
supposedly moved around and used to hide where they came
from and to benefit the defendants.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
So we talked about the alleged forced labor, how donations
were collected. How does this connect to that lavish lifestyle
you mentioned earlier for Taylor and Brannan.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Well, the indictment claims these funds were used precisely for that,
supporting Tailor's alleged extravagant lifestyle and enriching Brannon.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
And what kind of purchases are we talking about. The
indictment gets specific, oh.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Very specific. The financial transaction details paints a really stork picture.
For instance, May twenty twenty four, a lease signing payment
of over one hundred and twenty three thousand dollars for
a Rolls Royce Cullinant Rolls were okay, alleged purchases of
multiple Mercedes Benz vehicles, Bentley Continentals, a Crown Line boat,
five ATVs, two jet skis, plus a trailer.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
It's quite a list, it is.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
And it's not just vehicles. It seems to illustrate this
alleged continuous pattern of personal enrichment funded by donations meant
for charity.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
And it wasn't just vehicles and boats, right, I remember
seeing something about seafood.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Ah. Yes, that one definitely catches the eye. September twenty
twenty one, an alleged purchase of one hundred and twenty
five pounds of super colossal red king crab legs, plus
shears and cutters, totaling over ten.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
Thousand, ten thousand dollars on crab.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Legs allegedly, and also things like bulletproof automotive services over
eighty thousand dollars spent on that across several transactions in
twenty twenty four.
Speaker 4 (13:10):
Allegedly bulletproofing.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Wow, it just paints this incredibly vivid picture, doesn't it.
The alleged disparity between the unpaid, brutalized labor and this
level of personal spending and security.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
The level of detail really underscores the investigation's meticulous nature. Yeah,
and putting this back into the legal context, it's so important.
Keeps saying this is an indictment. These are allegations from
a grand.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
Jury, not proven facts yet exactly.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
It outlines the charges against Taylor and Brandon, and significantly,
it includes criminal forfeiture allegations meaning what exactly, meaning any
property involved in or derived from these alleged crimes, the cars,
the houses, whatever, could potentially be seized by the US
government if there's.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
A conviction, so aiming to take away the financial proceeds.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Right disrupting the alleged financial infrastructure. It adds another major
layer of potential consequences.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Stepping back, what does this all mean for you, the listener?
Beyond just the details of this one case. Oh, this
deep dive gives us a really stark look, I think,
into the alleged inner workings of an organization that, according
to this document, used manipulation, fear control to exploit people
for money, all while allegedly hiding behind a religious facade.
(14:24):
The level of detailed control described over lives, money, health,
it's just profoundly impactful to read about, a sobering reminder
of how complex.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
Coercion can be.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
It really is.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
We've certainly unpacked a huge amount today. The allegation is
of forced labor. The psychological abuse, the alleged money laundering
that stark contrast.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
It's a lot to take in, it is, and it
does raise a pretty important question for all of us,
doesn't it, which how do we as a society actually
identify and protect vulnerable people from this kind of coercive control,
especially when it's masked by something seemingly legitimate like religion.
What are those subtle signs the we might be overlooking
right in front of us.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
That is definitely something for you to chew on long
after this deep dive is over.
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