According to newly released court documents, 57 people, including minors, were forced to live and work under harsh conditions, reportedly enduring food and sleep deprivation, threats, and physical abuse.
Despite their lavish setting, victims were discovered to have been made to sleep on floors, kept in a garage, or crammed into rooms with limited access to bathrooms.
The indictment alleges that Michelle Brannon and fellow Kingdom of God Global Church leader David Taylor manipulated followers into working 24-hour shifts in church call centers. The workers were not paid and pressured into relentlessly soliciting donations that generated about $50 million over the last decade.
What they’re saying
One former church employee described the environment as mentally and physically abusive, citing public humiliation and isolation from family and friends.
“I did see David Taylor get aggressive with the staff,” said Leslie Portillo, who lived at the church’s Detroit ministry for several months.
Hellbound and Down 