November 10, 2026
A pastor and two church executives accused of coercing followers into unpaid work through physical abuse, sexual exploitation and threats of spiritual damnation cannot escape federal forced labor charges on religious freedom grounds, a Michigan federal judge said, refusing to dismiss the indictment against them.
September 18, 2026
A church leader says U.S. Supreme Court precedent bars a Michigan federal jury from deciding if fear of eternal damnation motivated her parishioners to perform forced labor and urged a Michigan federal judge Thursday to bar the government from using this line of argument in the forced labor and money laundering suit against Kingdom of God Global Church.
June 30, 2026
The federal government's allegations that a Michigan pastor forced church volunteers into an unpaid labor scheme attempts to criminalize his religious beliefs and oversteps the First Amendment, the pastor said in a bid to dismiss the superseding indictment on Tuesday.
May 07, 2026
An executive of a religious organization accused in a sprawling forced-labor and money laundering prosecution has asked a Michigan federal judge to loosen her bond conditions so she can raise money online while awaiting trial, saying pretrial officers can adequately monitor donations and prevent church funds from being funneled to her.
February 13, 2026
A self-proclaimed religious leader accused of orchestrating a sweeping forced-labor scheme investigated by the Internal Revenue Service must stay behind bars while he awaits trial, a Michigan federal judge decided Friday after privately reviewing more than 150 pages of victims' statements.
August 27, 2025
Two self-proclaimed religious leaders forced people to work in call centers to raise millions of dollars that the pair spent on jet skis and other luxuries in a money laundering scheme investigated by the IRS, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday in Michigan federal court.