A federal grand jury in Michigan has added a third defendant to a growing forced labor case tied to the Kingdom of God Global Church, naming 53-year-old Kathleen Klein, known within the organization as "Prophetess," in a superseding indictment issued February 11.

According to a Fox News report, Klein allegedly served as a leader and executive of the church and helped run a multi-state call center operation that prosecutors say exploited workers to solicit donations. She faces a charge of conspiracy to commit forced labor, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The indictment also piled new allegations onto co-defendant David Taylor, who styles himself an "Apostle" and claims to be "Jesus' best friend." According to the superseding indictment, Taylor frequently requested and received sexually explicit photos and videos from female church workers.

A $50 Million Machine Built on Coercion

The Kingdom of God Global Church, formerly known as Joshua Media Ministries International, allegedly collected approximately $50 million in donations since 2014. That money didn't go to the ministry. According to prosecutors, it funded personal real estate purchases, vehicles, airline tickets, and luxury goods.

The workers who generated those donations allegedly received nothing. Prosecutors say they were forced to work long hours without pay at call centers operating across four states: Michigan, Missouri, Florida, and Texas. The coercion allegedly included forced repentance rituals and threats of divine judgment.

That's the scheme in its simplest terms: invoke God to terrify people into unpaid labor, pocket fifty million dollars, and spend it on yourself.

The Case So Far

Taylor and co-defendant Michelle Brannon were first indicted in July 2025 on charges including conspiracy to commit forced labor, forced labor, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Klein's addition to the case signals that federal investigators have continued to work the case aggressively, broadening its scope and deepening the allegations.

No defense statements or attorney responses for any of the three defendants have been made public in connection with the superseding indictment.

Assistant Attorney General Andrew Tysen Duva framed the case in stark terms:

"This case reflects the gravity of forced labor schemes that strip victims of their basic human rights and subject them to physical and brutal psychological abuse. Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Department of Justice. We will relentlessly pursue those who facilitate and profit from forced labor and fight to obtain justice for survivors."

Faith as a Weapon

The details of this case deserve the revulsion they provoke. Using religious authority to coerce vulnerable people into unpaid labor is not a fringe curiosity. It is human trafficking dressed in vestments.

Conservatives have long understood that religious liberty is one of America's foundational principles. That principle is precisely why cases like this matter. When individuals weaponize faith to enslave others, they don't just victimize the people trapped in their operation. They corrode the credibility of every legitimate religious institution in the country. They hand ammunition to those who treat all organized religion with suspicion.

The proper conservative response is not to look away because a church is involved. It is to demand that the full weight of the law fall on those who pervert something sacred for personal enrichment. Religious liberty protects worship. It does not protect forced labor wrapped in a sermon.

The Human Trafficking Priority

The Department of Justice's emphasis on combating human trafficking aligns with a priority that has drawn bipartisan attention but disproportionate conservative energy. It was the Trump administration that elevated human trafficking enforcement as a signature issue, and the continued pursuit of cases like this one reflects that institutional commitment bearing fruit.

Forced labor operations thrive in the gaps between what institutions claim to be and what they actually do. A church that collects $50 million while its workers go unpaid is not a ministry. It is a business, and an illegal one at that. The superseding indictment's expansion to include Klein and new allegations against Taylor suggests prosecutors are peeling back the layers of an operation that may have been hiding in plain sight for over a decade.

What Comes Next

Three defendants now face federal charges. The number of workers allegedly victimized has not been publicly specified, but the scale of the operation, spanning four states and a decade of fundraising, suggests this case is far from fully told.

The allegations remain unproven at trial. But the grand jury found enough to indict three people and enough to come back with more charges months after the first round. That trajectory does not suggest a case running out of steam.

Fifty million dollars. Four states. Workers allegedly held in place by threats of divine punishment. And three people who called themselves servants of God, while allegedly living off the labor they stole.