A judge postponed making a decision on bond for David Taylor, a Metro Detroit church leader facing federal forced labor charges, requesting additional FBI reports before ruling.
Taylor, who was arrested in August along with co-defendant Michelle Brannon as part of a multi-state investigation into forced labor and money laundering allegations, appeared in court Monday (Dec, 15) after his attorneys appealed a judge’s previous decision to deny his bond.
Judge Terrence Berg requested prosecutors submit FBI reports, including victim interviews and evidence collected during searches, for review before making a final determination on bond.
During the hearing, Taylor’s defense team argued that the alleged victims in the case raised funds for Kingdom of God Global Church voluntarily, that they could come and go freely, and that some maintained outside employment alongside their work for the church.
Defense attorneys Scott Rosenblum and Larry Margolis said they are currently reviewing more than 96,000 items of evidence submitted by prosecutors as part of the discovery process.
Prosecutors said the eight victims named in the indictment were afraid to leave the church due to abuse and, in some cases, sexual exploitation they allegedly experienced under Taylor’s leadership.
The indictment alleges Taylor and his organization operated multiple donation-seeking call centers across several states.
Click here to see a full report on the allegations outlined in the indictment.
Rosenblum told Local 4 he looks forward to the court’s decision.
Taylor’s trial is scheduled to begin in April 2026.