Prophetess and Co-Conspirators Accused of Operating Brutal Forced Labour Call Centres
A wealthy woman who styled herself as a 'prophetess' has been criminally charged with operating a network of sweat shop-like call centres, where employees were allegedly overworked, threatened with eternal damnation, and subjected to severe punishments for failing to meet impossible fundraising targets. Kathleen Klein, aged 53, was added to an indictment on Wednesday, joining church leaders David Taylor and Michelle Brannon, who were previously accused of slavery and money laundering charges.
Alleged Forced Labour Ring and Church Donations Scheme
According to the Justice Department, Klein allegedly conspired with Taylor and Brannon to run a forced labour ring that solicited donations for their church, the Kingdom of God Global Church (KOGGC). Prosecutors claim that victims were forced to work gruelling hours at call centres without pay, under intense pressure to hit unattainable fundraising goals. The criminal complaint, reviewed by the Daily Mail, details how the defendants controlled every aspect of their employees' daily lives, instructing them to quit outside employment and cut ties with family and friends.
Employees reportedly slept at the call centres, which were located in Michigan, Missouri, Florida, and Texas. Church members who resisted faced threats of eternal damnation, along with repentance rituals, physical violence, public humiliation, and sleep deprivation as punishments. The indictment alleges that the trio raked in approximately $50 million in donations since 2014 through this scheme, using the funds to purchase properties, vehicles, and luxury goods.
Harsh Punishments and Food Withholding Tactics
The filings reveal a series of alleged text messages sent by the defendants, where they threatened to withhold food if fundraising targets were missed. Underperforming staff were subjected to 'rebukings,' forced onto their knees and yelled at for hours. Taylor allegedly threatened employees with a 21-day diet of only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches if they failed to raise $164,000 each in a single day.
Klein sent similar messages in a group chat called Houston Managers, threatening to take away employees' weekends if donation amounts were not met. In one text from April 12, 2024, she allegedly wrote to 21 employees and Brannon: 'Low number closers won't need dinner, they can have PB&J. And to my knowledge, if end-of-day totals are not up, people will be going to the street, so this menu might change significantly.' Taylor also allegedly directed that if closing numbers were not reached by 6 pm, staff would not eat dinner at all, with consequences escalating each hour they fell behind.
Additional Allegations of Abuse and Exploitation
The complaint further accuses Taylor, who referred to himself as Jesus' best friend, of receiving and requesting sexually explicit photographs and videos of KOGGC workers. His personal 'armor bearers' allegedly delivered women to his home and ensured they used Plan B contraceptives afterward, with punishments for those who refused. Klein acknowledged in a text chain that one worker was confined to a stairwell due to health issues, rather than being kicked out onto the street.
In a July 2025 text, Klein expressed violent frustration: 'This is so disgusting!! I want to slap them so hard with a drop kick.' The defendants also allegedly instructed workers to apply for Electronic Benefits Transfers (EBT) by falsely claiming homelessness, using those funds to buy food for staff.
Legal Charges and Arrests
Klein has been charged with conspiracy to commit forced labour, which carries a potential sentence of 20 years in prison. Taylor and Brannon were indicted in July 2025 on charges including conspiracy to commit forced labour, forced labour, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, each count carrying up to 20 years in prison. Brannon, 56, was arrested at a Hillsborough County mansion owned by the church and used as a call centre in August, while Taylor, 53, was arrested in North Carolina.
The FBI conducted raids on call centres across the country, including a $9.8 million mansion in Tampa, Florida. The Daily Mail has reached out to the defendants' lawyers for comment, but no statements have been provided at this time. This case highlights severe allegations of exploitation and abuse under the guise of religious fundraising, with prosecutors seeking justice for the victims of this alleged forced labour scheme.
