A federal grand jury in Michigan has indicted Kathleen Klein, a 53-year-old woman also known as “Prophetess,” for her alleged role in a forced labor conspiracy that operated across Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri, according to a Thursday news release from the Department of Justice.
Klein is accused of running a network of call centers in these states, where she used forced labor to solicit donations for the Kingdom of God Global Church. Victims were compelled to work grueling hours without pay and were pressured to meet impossible fundraising targets, the release stated.
When victims failed to reach these goals or resisted, they faced severe punishments, including public humiliation, sleep deprivation, physical violence, withholding of food and shelter, forced repentance rituals, and threats of eternal damnation, according to the Department of Justice.
Klein allegedly controlled virtually every aspect of the victims’ lives, orchestrating the operation that spanned multiple states and preyed on vulnerable individuals for the church’s benefit.
The Kingdom of God Global Church collected roughly $50 million in donations through this scheme, which church leaders used to fund personal real estate, vehicles, travel, and luxury goods, the news release detailed.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva emphasized the severity of the case in the release, stating, “This reflects the gravity of forced labor schemes that strip victims of their basic human rights and subject them to physical and brutal psychological abuse.”
Duva further affirmed the Department of Justice’s commitment, saying, “Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Department of Justice. We will relentlessly pursue those who facilitate and profit from forced labor and fight to obtain justice for survivors.”
