Who is Pastor David Taylor and why was he arrested? Charges explored in wake of multi-million conspiracy revelation

Pastor David Taylor was recently taken into custody on August 27, 2025, for being reportedly involved in a forced labor conspiracy. Apart from him, another person named Michelle Brannon was also arrested on the same day, as stated by The News Observer.

The outlet reported that the duo was arrested by federal agents. David was mostly known for claiming that he had encountered God on different occasions.

Furthermore, Taylor also described himself as Jesus Christ’s best friend and an “Apostle” simultaneously.

The arrest of David Taylor and Michelle Brannon was a part of the raids conducted by the FBI, where leaders of Joshua Media Ministries International were accused of attempting to earn profits by forcing certain victims through psychological and physical abuse.

According to The Roys Report, the properties of Joshua Media Ministries that were a target of the raid were located in places such as North Carolina and Tampa.

The US Department of Justice also mentioned in a press release that the latest arrest was an effort to end a human trafficking scheme that was active in places like Michigan, Texas, Missouri, and Florida.

Notably, an indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan on Wednesday, August 27, following which David and Michelle were immediately arrested.

Several charges related to conspiracy to commit forced labor and money laundering have been imposed on David and Michelle, as per Click on Detroit.

Each count includes a sentence of 20 years and fines of around $250,000 and $500,000.

David Taylor and Michelle Brannon operated multiple call centers over the years

A press release from the US Department of Justice stated that the Kingdom of God Global Church, an organization owned by David and Michelle, reportedly operated a call center to collect funds.

While the call center was initially launched in Michigan, it was later opened in other places like Florida.

David Taylor and Michelle Brannon then allegedly hired people to work at the call centers, and they tried to have control over the everyday lives of those employed under them.

The employees were not allowed to leave without the approval of David and Michelle, and they had to sleep in a separate place inside the call center.

The employees were described as “armor bearers”, which referred to the servants of David. The same people were reportedly told to bring women to David Taylor’s place from locations such as airports.

Moreover, the employees were not paid for their services while they worked for David and Michelle, and all of them had to complete a specific target in terms of donations.

They were allegedly humiliated by Taylor and Brannon on different occasions and also punished with extra work alongside psychological abuse, physical assaults, public humiliation, and more.

Apart from the Kingdom of God Global Church, Joshua Media Ministries International also accumulated a lot of profits, and the earnings were used by David and Michelle to buy properties, vehicles, and sports equipment.

The press release stated that apart from the FBI, IRS-CI was additionally involved in the investigation.

Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, Reuben Coleman, expressed gratitude to all the branches of the FBI that helped to resolve the case, and added:

“The indictment of David Taylor and Michelle Brannon demonstrates the FBI’s steadfast efforts to protect the American people from human exploitation and financial crimes, including forced labor and money laundering. The alleged actions are deeply troubling.”

While David and Michelle have been arrested, a date for their appearance in court is yet to be finalized.