Federal Human Trafficking and Forced Labor Cases

A federal grand jury in Michigan has filed a superseding indictment adding Kathleen Klein, 53, a leader known inside the Kingdom of God Global Church as “Prophetess,” as a third defendant in an alleged forced‑labor and fraud scheme tied to the church’s multi‑state fundraising call centers. Prosecutors say Klein, along with already‑indicted leaders David Taylor and Michelle Brannon, ran call centers in Michigan, Missouri, Florida and Texas where followers were forced to work long hours without pay to solicit donations, and were punished with sleep deprivation, food and housing deprivation, physical abuse, public humiliation and threats of divine punishment if they failed. The indictment alleges the organization raised about $50 million since 2014, money that leaders allegedly diverted to personal real estate, cars, airline tickets and luxury goods rather than ministry work. The new filing also adds allegations that Taylor requested and received sexually explicit photos and videos from female church workers. Klein now faces up to 20 years in prison on a conspiracy to commit forced labor charge, while Taylor and Brannon, first indicted in July 2025 on forced‑labor and money‑laundering counts, each face up to 20 years per count if convicted. The Justice Department is framing the case as part of its broader human‑trafficking crackdown, emphasizing that exploiting religious authority to coerce unpaid labor and compliance is a serious federal crime.