Self-proclaimed religious leader arrested in Durham in federal takedown
FIRST OFFENSE LONGER FOR THE
SECOND OFFENSE. NOW TO ANOTHER
BIG STORY, A MULTISTATE FBI
INVESTIGATION INVOLVING A
CHURCH IS FORCED LABOR AND
MONEY-LAUNDERING SCHEME.
>> IT'S TIED TO THE TRIANGLE
SKY 5 FLEW ABOVE A RAID IN
DURHAM TODAY. IT'S CONNECTED TO
THE ORGANIZATION KINGDOM OF
GOD GLOBAL CHURCH AND THEY
ARRESTED THIS MAN. DAVID
TAYLOR, A SELF-PROCLAIMED
RELIGIOUS LEADER ASSOCIATED
WITH THE GROUP TAYLOR AND
ANOTHER SUSPECT ARE ACCUSED OF
GETTING PEOPLE TO WORK IN CALL
CENTERS SOLICITING DONATIONS
AND THEN CONTROLLED EVERY
ASPECT OF THEIR LIVES. EVEN
ABUSED THEM. WRAL. SEAN
GALLAGHER IS LIVE IN DURHAM,
SHOT INDICTMENTS SHOW THE
ORGANIZATION AT THE CENTER OF
THIS RACE. ABOUT 50 MILLION
DOLLARS IN DONATIONS.
>> YEAH, ACTUALLY, IT WAS ALL
THROUGH THAT FORCED LABOR WHERE
THEY WERE CALLING FOR THOSE
DONATIONS. AND THAT'S ALL
ACCORDING TO THE FBI WHO SPENT
HOURS AT THIS BUILDING HERE
BEHIND ME, PULLING OUT EVIDENCE
RELATED TO THESE CRIMES.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T
REALLY LOOK LIKE A BUILDING
WHERE YOU CAN EXPECT A
MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MONEY
LAUNDERING OPERATION. BUT IT'S
FAR FROM THE ONLY BUILDING
INVESTIGATED BY THE FBI ACROSS
THE COUNTRY TODAY.
>> THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THIS
DURHAM RESIDENT EXPECTED TO
SEE OUTSIDE OF HER HOME THIS
MORNING. I WAS SCARED. I WAS
LIKE, OH, MY GOD. AND IT'S NOT
THE FIRST TIME SHE'S FELT THAT
WAY ABOUT HER NEIGHBOR. THAT'S
WHY SHE DOESN'T WANT US TO USE
HER NAME OR SHOW HER TO MAKE
SURE EVERYONE SAYS SHE'S MOSTLY
OTHER TURN. I ACTUALLY JUST
JUST.
>> THAT LITTLE SCARED ABOUT HIM
TELLING US A LITTLE READY TO BE
CAREFUL WITH THEIR IT HAS
SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN TO HIM
BECAUSE RULES A PERSON HAD A
VISION OR SOME FOOD BECAUSE HE
WAS A PASTOR VISIONS OR
SOMETHING. DAVID E TAYLOR
PROMOTES ON THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
GLOBAL CHURCH'S WEBSITE.
A MAN WHO CALLS HIMSELF AN
APOSTLE WITH CLAIMS TO HAVE
SEEN GOD FACE TO FACE AND PHOTO
SHOWING OFF SUPPOSED MIRACLES,
HELPING PEOPLE WALK AGAIN AND
CURING THEM OF DISEASES.
>> ALL THE WHILE THE FBI SAYS
HE WAS ALLEGEDLY FORCING PEOPLE
TO WORK IN CALL CENTERS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY TO AMASS TENS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN WEALTH
SINCE 2014 MONEY. THEY BELIEVE
HE LAUNDERED.
THE FBI RAIDED THIS
MULTIMILLION DOLLAR HOME IN
FLORIDA AND OTHER LOCATIONS
IN TEXAS, MICHIGAN AND MISSOURI
TODAY, FEDERAL INDICTMENTS
ACCUSE TAYLOR AND THE CHURCH IS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MICHELLE
BRANNON A FORCING PEOPLE TO
WORK IN CALL CENTERS IN THOSE
STATES WITHOUT PAYING THAT.
>> WITH PUNISHMENTS FOR NOT
REACHING GOALS LIKE PUBLIC
HUMILIATION, SLEEP DEPRIVATION,
FOOD AND SHELTER RESTRICTIONS,
PHYSICAL ASSAULTS AND MORE
ACCUSATIONS. TAYLOR IS
APPARENTLY VERY WELL AWARE OF
ON THE CHURCH'S WEBSITE.
HE ALREADY HAS A 10,000 WORD
LETTER TO HIS FOLLOWERS
CLAIMING THESE ACCUSATIONS ARE
ALL LIES DRIVEN BY RACIST HATE
AGAINST HIM. BUT HIS NEIGHBOR
SAYS SHE'S ALWAYS HAD
SUSPICIONS ACTUALLY, WHEN I
TOO MUCH TO DO. AND I SEE I
KNEW HIM HE HAD HE HAD DONE SO.
>> AND THIS ISN'T THE FIRST
TIME TAYLOR HAS FACED
ACCUSATIONS ARE RATHER
CRITICISM FOR HIS FINANCES IN
2022, HE WAS SUED FOR NOT
PAYING SOME 2 MILLION DOLLARS
FOR A STAGE SET UP AND THEN
BACK IN 2014, HE WAS DEPOSED
ABOUT HOW HE SPENT MONEY FOR
THE CHURCH AFTER RECEIVING A
DONATION THROUGH. SO.
HE SITS BEHIND BARS AND A