Related Federal Cases
Kathleen Klein, 53, Charged with Forced Labor in Michigan
A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan returned a superseding indictment against Kathleen Klein, also known as Prophetess, for her alleged role in a forced labor conspiracy that victimized individuals in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri. The indictment alleges that Klein and her co-defendants David Taylor and Michelle Brannon ran a network of call centers across multiple states that used forced labor to solicit donations for Kingdom of God Global Church (KOGGC), formerly known as Joshua Media Ministries International (JMMI).
According to court documents, victims were forced to work grueling hours at the call centers without pay and pressured to hit impossible fundraising targets. When victims fell short of leaders’ goals or dared to push back, the punishment was severe: public humiliation, sleep deprivation, physical violence, withholding of food and shelter, forced repentance rituals, and threats of eternal damnation. Klein and her co-defendants allegedly controlled virtually every aspect of their victims’ lives.
During the more than decade-long conspiracy, KOGGC collected roughly $50 million in donations, which leaders used to pay for personal real estate, vehicles, travel, and luxury goods. Klein is charged with conspiracy to commit forced labor, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Klein, 53, is the third defendant to be charged in the multi-state forced labor conspiracy. Taylor and Brannon were first indicted on July 23, 2025, for conspiracy to commit forced labor, forced labor, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Taylor and Brannon face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count.
The FBI and IRS-CI are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Lindsey Roberson and Christina Randall-James of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights & Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Resnick Cohen for the Eastern District of Michigan are prosecuting the case.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division stated, ‘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.’ U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan added, ‘We will follow the evidence and meticulously build the case.’
SPECIAL AGENTS IN CHARGE quoted: Jennifer Runyan of the FBI Detroit Field Office stated, ‘Forced labor is a direct assault on human freedom.’ Karen Wingerd of the IRS-CI Detroit Field Office added, ‘We are dedicated to fighting human trafficking to ensure the safety of all communities we serve.’
Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Category: Human Trafficking|Forced Labor
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News