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Two US pastors arrested in $50m human trafficking, fraud case

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Two church leaders in the United States have been arrested in an alleged multi-million-dollar conspiracy after multiple Federal Bureau of Investigation raids across the country on Wednesday, including one in Hillsborough County’s exclusive Avila neighborhood.

In a statement issued via its website on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice said Michelle Brannon, 56, was arrested at a mansion near Tampa, while David Taylor, 53, was arrested in North Carolina over allegations of multi-million dollar money laundering, forced labour and human trafficking.

According to the DOJ, Taylor and Brannon are the leaders of Kingdom of God Global Church, formerly known as Joshua Media Ministries International.

The Justice Department said Taylor referred to himself as “Apostle” and to Brannon as his Executive Director.

FBI officials said law enforcement arrested Brannon early Wednesday at 706 Guisando De Avila in Hillsborough County, which is owned by the church, according to property records.

Investigators arrested Taylor on Wednesday morning in North Carolina, while SWAT and FBI agents also raided a hotel owned by the church in Houston.

A 10-count indictment alleged that Taylor and Brannon ran call centres in Florida, Texas, Missouri, and Michigan to solicit donations to the church.

The pair convinced their victims to work at the call centres and work for Taylor as personal servants – referred to as “armour bearers” – for long hours without pay, according to the indictment.

Federal investigators said Taylor and Brannon “controlled every aspect of the daily living of their victims,” who slept at the call centre or in a “ministry” house and were not allowed to leave without permission.

The indictment also says the suspects forced the victims to transport women to Taylor and ensure that those women took Plan B emergency contraceptives.

The church received about $50 million in donations through its call centres dating back to 2014, according to the DOJ.

Taylor and Brannon are accused of using much of that money to buy luxury properties, luxury vehicles, and sporting equipment such as boats, jet skis, and ATVs.

Taylor and Brannon face charges of forced labour, conspiracy to commit forced labour, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Each alleged crime carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan returned a 10-count indictment against two defendants for their alleged roles in a forced labour and money laundering conspiracy that victimised individuals in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said the two defendants were arrested in North Carolina and Florida in a nationwide takedown of their forced labour organistion.

“Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Department of Justice.

“We are committed to relentlessly pursuing and ending this scourge and obtaining justice for the victims,” he said.

Also speaking, U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan, said, “We will use every lawful tool against human traffickers and seek justice for their victims.

“A case like this is only possible through a concerted effort with our federal partners across the country and the non-governmental agencies who provide victim support. We thank them all.”

“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 labour and money laundering.

“The alleged actions are deeply troubling. I want to thank the members of the FBI Detroit Field Office, with strong support from our federal and agency partners in the FBI Tampa Field Office, FBI Jacksonville Field Office, FBI St. Louis Field Office, FBI Charlotte Field Office, FBI Houston Field Office, and the Detroit IRS-CI Field Office, in addition to several local, county and state law enforcement partners, for their role in executing this multi-state operation.

“The FBI in Michigan will continue to investigate those who violate federal law and remain focused on ensuring the protection and safety of our nation,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Reuben Coleman of the FBI Detroit Field Office.

“Money laundering is tax evasion in progress, and in this case, the proceeds funded an alleged human trafficking ring and supported a luxury lifestyle under the guise of a religious ministry.

“IRS-CI stands committed to fighting human trafficking and labor exploitation, and pursuing those who hide their profits gained from the extreme victimization of the vulnerable,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of IRS Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office.

According to the DOJ, conspiracy to commit forced labour carries up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000, while forced labour carries up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000.

It noted that conspiracy to commit money laundering carries up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $500,000 or twice the value of the properties involved in the money laundering transactions.

It was gathered that Brannon appeared in federal court in Tampa on Wednesday afternoon, but an attorney for Brannon wasn’t present.

A judge asked where her attorney was and whether she had representation.

Brannon told the judge that she had two private attorneys, out of St. Louis and Oklahoma, who were already working with them. However, she said she hadn’t heard from either of them.

The judge said the attorneys were not able to be reached through the phone numbers provided to federal prosecutors. It’s not clear if Brannon has legal representation at this point.

The judge continued Brannon’s hearing to Thursday afternoon. He instructed Brannon to find an attorney in the Tampa area in the meantime.

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Nigerian man and accomplice sentenced to life imprisonment for m8rder in UK

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Akinsoji, 27, a drill rapper and accomplice, Sundjata Keita, 27, of Cruikshank Road E15, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday, 24 October, 2025.

They both received life sentences after the Metropolitan Police linked them to the 2017 m8rder through DNA evidence.

Akinsoji was jailed for a minimum term of 28 years, while Keita received a minimum term of 22 years.

A jury at the Old Bailey convicted the pair of a m8rder on Thursday, 9 October, in connection with the k!lling Ahmed Deen-Jah in East London.

A m8rder investigation was launched on Sunday, 2 April, 2017, after Ahmed – aged 24 – was stabbed during an unprovoked assault in a convenience store near Custom House station in Newham.

Detective Superintendent Kelly Allen, who led the investigation, said: “I hope the long sentences provide some measure of closure to Ahmed’s family, who have waited almost a decade for justice.

“Akinsoji and Keita launched a cold-blooded and unprovoked attack. Worse still, they then sought to evade the law – and were able to do so until 2023, when damning forensic evidence came to light.”

On the day of the murder, CCTV showed Ahmed entering the store on Freemasons Road, Newham, at around 15:20hrs, where he bought a cigarette lighter.

He was seen to return to the shop around 30 seconds later, being followed by a man wearing a balaclava. The man chased Ahmed around the shop, before stabbing him and running away. Ahmed was sadly pronounced d3ad at the scene.

Akinsoji and Keita were originally arrested as part of the investigation, within eight days. They were released under investigation as officers continued complex enquiries.

In 2023, an investigation review was carried out which included detailed phone analysis, placing Keita’s phone inside the car used for the m8rder. The car had travelled to Epping Forest following the murder, where it was later found on fire.

An evidence package – including forensic results from a knife sheath found close to the scene and DNA findings from the victim’s hand – was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service. This had shown a match for the two men’s DNA.

Following this breakthrough, the men were rearrested on Friday, 25 October, 2024, and subsequently charged with m8rder.

A trial for the two men began on Monday, 8 September. The court heard how Ahmed’s murder was a result of “tit for tat” violence between gangs, and that both men had been driving around the area in a stolen car, looking for people they suspected being in a rival gang.

CCTV played in court showed Akinsoji ambushing Ahmed and following him into the shop, before st@bbing him.

Following the conviction, Ahmed’s father said he was “overwhelmed with relief” for his mental health and thanked police for working hard to bring the killers to justice.

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EFCC arrests school owner for alleged visa and scholarship fraud in Uyo

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Operatives of the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission , EFCC, have arrested an alleged serial fraudster Mrs. Imaobong Cyril Okpong for her alleged involvement in a series of visa fraud schemes and fake offers of foreign scholarships for nonexistent studies abroad.

A statement from the commission says Okpong was arrested following claims of a petitioner, Dr. (Mrs.) Blessing Nse Bassey, a clinician, that alleged that the suspect defrauded her of the sum of N3,000,000 (Three Million Naira) under the guise of securing a University admission for her and also processing Canadian visas for her and her husband.

‘’According to Bassey, the suspect contacted her sometime in February 2024 with a supposed opportunity to secure a scholarship and study visa abroad. She explained that she didn’t make any payment until the suspect signed an indemnity agreement, which she notarized before making the N3,000,000 electronic transfer into the suspect’s bank account.

However, after receiving the payment, Okpong allegedly became unreachable and started rejecting calls on her mobile lines as she completely failed to deliver on her promise and terms of the signed agreement.”the statement read

The EFCC added that Bassey claimed that the suspect had defrauded many victims, especially one of her friends “I met in China who got stranded in China when she got there and realized that there was no scholarship. Some of her victims had travelled abroad with fake documents that left many of them stranded overseas while some others faced deportation with huge financial losses”

The agency added that the suspect, an alleged owner of Michael Udonquak Schools , Mbierebe in Akwa Ibom State, will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

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Canadian court deports Ondo pastor for bribing Nigerian police, fabricating asylum claim

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A Canadian federal court has ordered the deportation of Lucky Bidemi Olorunfemi, a pastor who was based in Ondo state, after discovering that he bribed members of the Nigerian police Force to declare him wanted as part of a fabricated persecution story to back his asylum claim.

Justice McHaffie of the federal court in Toronto delivered the ruling on October 16, upholding a decision by the refugee protection division that found Olorunfemi’s materials lacked credibility and bore signs of being doctored.

Olorunfemi filed for refugee status in 2023 after relocating to Canada.

He claimed that his pro-LGBTQ teachings and tolerance of gay congregants angered muslim jihadis who sought to take his life.

In one instance, he claimed irate Muslims torched his church and chased him to a police station in March 2022.

According to Olorunfemi, the incident led him to go into hiding for a year. It was from there that he processed his visa to flee to Canada.

To substantiate his claims, Olorunfemi submitted four documents, but McHaffie of the Canadian federal court questioned their authenticity, asserting they were riddled with errors and bore signs of fraud.

The Nigerian national was represented by Abdul-Rahman Kadiri in the matter heard in the Toronto court.

The documents include a newspaper excerpt reporting the attempt on Olorunfemi’s life, an invitation from the Nigerian police to question him about the incident dated April 2022, his wife’s medical report following an attack in June 2024, and a wanted poster “Issued by the authority of the Odoua [sic] peoples congress”.

But the refugee protection division picked holes in the documents, particularly that the newspaper report was so poorly written and contained blunders that it resembled brown paper journalism.

The judge noted that there was no direct link to the story, save for a generic website link.

Another red flag, the division noted, was that the wording of the newspaper report was almost verbatim as Olorunfemi’s allegations.

“The RPD next set out why it considered it more likely than not that the newspaper report, which was ‘riddled with spelling and grammatical errors and recounts the claimant’s allegations using language obviously similar to that of his narrative,’ was an example of ‘brown envelope journalism,’ fabricated at Olorunfemi’s direction.

“It made similar conclusions regarding the letter from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the medical report, and the wanted poster, each of which had glaring authenticity concerns,” the judge wrote in his ruling.

McHaffie said the Nigerian pastor did not provide any credible reason to counter the RPD.

Also at issue was the wanted poster reportedly issued by the Odoua [sic] Peoples Congress.

Several misspellings, including Oodua as Odoua and Yoruba as “youruba,” and other inconsistencies led the refugee division to further doubt the documents’ authenticity.

“This led the RPD to conclude that the poster was fraudulent even without having to note that the poster, which bears Olorunfemi’s picture, identifies him as someone with a different name entirely,” McHaffie said.

McHaffie stressed that Olorunfemi’s wanted poster lacked any contact information, unlike similar letter specimens from the Nigerian police archived by the Canadian government.

The judge countered Olorunfemi’s assertions that the RPD denied his request on the basis of minor infractions, stressing that the Nigerian national had built his case on the documents and could not now turn around to label the discrepancies as minor.

He rebuked Olorunfemi for faulting the RPD for not making further enquiries to verify the documents, when it was Olorunfemi who submitted papers that lacked any contact details.

The medical report, according to McHaffie, only had a postal address and a Gmail address but no telephone number.

The court also noted contradictions in Olorunfemi’s testimony, including his claim of limited English language proficiency, which was undermined when the division saw he responded to his own counsel in flawless spoken English.

After hearing Olorunfemi’s arguments, McHaffie sided with the RPD that while Olorunfemi’s arguments were not credible, the only fact that could be established in his case was that he was truly a Nigerian based on his passport and testimony.

The judge dismissed Olorunfemi’s request for a review of his asylum denial due to his failure to remain consistent in his testimony and to buttress his application with credible documents.

“The application for judicial review is dismissed,” the judge ruled.

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