Two church leaders have been arrested in an alleged multi-million-dollar conspiracy after multiple FBI raids across the country, including one in Hillsborough County's extravagant Avila neighbourhood.

Tampa

Federal investigators have arrested David Taylor and Michelle Brannan, religious leaders with ties to Tampa Bay, on charges related to a multimillion-dollar forced labor and money laundering scheme. The indictment alleges that over a decade, Taylor and Brannan ran a modern-day slavery ring across four states, forcing individuals to work without pay and subjecting them to severe punishments, including food and sleep deprivation.

FBI raids were conducted at several locations, including the church's headquarters in Michigan and a building in Houston, where 17 people were removed. The indictment details that workers were forced to meet unrealistic donation quotas, faced humiliation and physical abuse, and were cut off from their families. Authorities allege that the church received about $50 million in donations, which were used to fund the leaders' lavish lifestyles. The full extent of the number of victims remains unclear as the investigation continues.

FBI raids homes of church leaders accused of modern-day slavery

that's what's going on in Tampa Bay, and that's what's going on in the state of Florida. Labor, abuse and punishments of no food or sleep. That is what's. In the indictment of two religious leaders with ties to Tampa Bay and what led FBI raids across several states today. Investigators are calling it a multimillion dollar conspiracy led by David Taylor. He was arrested in North Carolina while Michelle Brannon was arrested at a home in the affluent Avalon neighborhood of Tampa Bay. He was charged with murder. He was charged with murder. He was charged with murder in the scheme. Genevieve, what did you find? Yeah, well, Haley in the 23 page indictment, it is pretty clear that David Taylor, who calls himself in apostle and his right hand, Michelle Brannan, are accused of running a modern day slavery ring across four states. For 10 years, forcing people to work without pay with severe consequences if they didn't all of a sudden, you know, something happened. You know, and to hear that type of thing was going on again, right in your backyard, who would have who would have known early this morning? Neighbors in Tampa's affluent Avila community watched stunned as FBI agents descended on this massive mansion. It's one of the homes where authorities say David Taylor and Michelle Brannan ran their multistate operation. Ah forced labor and money laundering scheme under the name of the church. It's a very, very serious crime, and it's a very serious crime. You have 50,000. You have 50,000 here when you have 10,000, the FBI raided the church's headquarters in Michigan and a church owned building in Houston, where 17 people were removed, some in handcuffs. A man who works next door says he noticed unusual activity like people who appear trapped. I think it's definitely some cold life activities because. They said that there was like groups of families in there and it's a very, very serious crime, and it's a very, very serious crime. The church also arrested unpaid workers at their nine call centers, setting unrealistic quotas for donations, and when they failed, workers were subjected to humiliation, sleep deprivation, forced repentance, food restrictions. And physical assaults. The indictment includes text messages from Taylor, referring to the Tampa group of workers not being allowed to sleep or eat until quotas were met. It also says that workers were forced to leave their homes. They were forced to leave their homes to support victims of human trafficking. Donors could not have known those forced to make those calls. Were themselves victims. We really had every aspect of human trafficking. You had individuals who were, you know, brought to a facility that they couldn't leave. They weren't being paid. They had production goals that they had to meet. Instead, authorities say the money funded Taylor's call center was used to pay workers who were forced to leave their homes to support victims in court. They say the church received about $50 million in donations since 2014. All while the pair controls nearly every aspect of the workers lives, cutting them off from their family and forcing them to take contraceptives in paragraph 11 of very cryptic reference to women being required to use emergency contraceptives, and that's an indication to me that there's a lot of people who are being forced to leave their homes. Authorities say the call for federal assistance and food stamps by claiming to be homeless and then turn that money over to Taylor and Brannon. I hope it's not true, but. If it is, you know he deserves everything he's going to get. Now from what we have learned today from federal authorities, it is still unclear how many victims there could be in this case and how many people may have been found to be homeless. We do have information on how many people were found to be homeless, but the federal command center was set up today. Brannon is set to be back in court in Tampa tomorrow, reporting live in the newsroom. Genevieve Curtis Fox 13 news, Genevieve. Thank you. According to the federal grand jury indictment, the money raised by the victims was used to support Taylor's extravagant lifestyle and to enrich Brannon. The indictment lists a number of items purchased, including a Mercedes Benz worth more than $100,000. The indictment also lists a number of items purchased by the victims in the same year more than $105,000 for a crownline boat in 2019 more than $31,000 for five ATVs and nearly $50,000 for four jet skis and two trailers in 2021. The indictment also lists more than $123,000 for bulletproof automotive between. May of last year and February of this year. You can find more information

It's been 13 days since President Trump said he could strike a peace deal in Ukraine, following his meeting with Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin. But Russia shows no signs of backing down, launching an aerial assault on Kyiv.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Russian attack on Kyiv kills more than a dozen people

The shooter in Minneapolis fired more than 100 rounds from a rifle at the church where students at Annunciation Catholic School attended Mass. City and state officials highlighted this fact as they called for stricter gun control.

Minneapolis

Minneapolis officials call for stronger gun laws after school shooting

The shooter who killed 2 kids and injured 17 at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis had ties to the church where he targeted children celebrating a new school year during mass.

Annunciation school shooter had knowledge of church he targeted

The White House is responding to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Susan Monarez's refusal to step down from her role. CBS News' Olivia Rinaldi reports.

Washington

White House reacts to CDC director refusing to step down from role

In Tehran on Thursday, Iran’s currency traded at over 1 million to $1. At the time of the 2015 accord, it traded at 32,000 to $1, showing the currency’s precipitous collapse in the time since.

Tehran

Europe prepares sanctions as Iran's currency falls

Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed in a school shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis. The FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics. Warning, this video is difficult to watch.

FBI investigating Minneapolis Catholic school shooting as hate crime

UN officials and aid agencies have warned that famine in Gaza is no longer a looming threat but a present reality, with children increasingly dying of hunger. In a blunt address to the UN Security Council, officials described the famine and widespread hunger in the enclave as “engineered” and “man-made” disasters.

New York

Middle East Conflict

UN Security Council affirms Gaza famine is manmade

Denmark summoned the top U.S. diplomat in the country to protest what Danish officials say is an unprecedented effort by people close to U.S. President Donald Trump to conduct secret influence operations in Greenland.

Copenhagen

Denmark accuses U.S. of covert operations in Greenland

Two young children were killed, and 17 others were injured in a shooting during a Catholic Mass packed with young students in Minneapolis. The gunman is also dead.

Minneapolis Catholic school shooting leaves two children dead

The group is accused of attempting to infiltrate Greenlandic society, including allegedly recruiting locals for a new independence movement from Denmark, according to the Danish public broadcaster, DR, who was first to break the story.

Nuuk

Denmark summons U.S envoy over claimed interference in Greenland

SpaceX on Tuesday launched its Super Heavy-Starship, the most powerful rocket in the world, for a test flight after three other flights failed earlier this year. NASA hired SpaceX to build a lunar lander version of Starship to carry astronauts to the moon.

Starbase

SpaceX launches Super Heavy-Starship in test flight

The United States has doubled tariffs on many imports from India to 50 percent, as U.S. President Donald Trump followed through on his threat to punish New Delhi for buying discounted Russian oil.

New Delhi

Global Tariffs

U.S. raises India tariffs to 50 percent over Russian oil purchases

President Donald Trump said he would seek the death penalty for murders in Washington, as part of a crackdown on what he calls out-of-control crime in the US capital.

Trump endorses death penalty return in Washington D.C.

As the Israeli military gives an initial assessment of deadly strikes on a Gaza hospital, hundreds of thousands of protesters urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire with Hamas in exchange for a hostage deal.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Protesters urge Netanyahu to reach hostage deal

Cracker Barrel says it will go back to its old logo after facing intense backlash and seeing its company value to sink by nearly $100 million after switching to a new design last week. In a statement, Cracker Barrel thanked their guests for sharing their voices.

Cracker Barrel scrapping new logo, returning to old one after backlash

The small West Tennessee town of Mason, just 2 square miles in size, is home to about 1,000 people. But its residents are now divided by what a new immigration detention facility will mean for the area.

Mason

Small Tennessee town divided over new ICE detention facility

A standoff is brewing between President Trump and economist Lisa Cook. Mr. Trump tried to fire her, claiming "there is sufficient cause" to believe that Cook made false statements on one or more mortgage agreements.

Trump clashes with Fed board member Lisa Cook, pushing to oust her

Protesters demanding an end to the Gaza war and the return of hostages to their homes took to the streets in Israel on Tuesday ahead of a security cabinet meeting scheduled for the evening.

Israeli protesters demand hostage deal as cabinet set to meet

Australia accused Iran on Tuesday (August 26) of executing two antisemitic arson attacks in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne and gave Tehran's ambassador seven days to leave the country, its first such expulsion since World War Two.

Council of the City of Sydney

Australia expels Iranian envoy over antisemitic attacks

President Donald Trump announced the removal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, the only Black woman to serve on the board. Critics call it an attack on the Fed's independence, while Cook says no legal cause exists for her firing.

Trump says he fired Lisa Cook from Federal Reserve board

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating new National Guard units, including a rapid-response force to handle what the administration calls civil disturbances.

White House authorizes creation of rapid-response National Guard units

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI sued Apple and ChatGPT maker OpenAI in U.S. federal court in Texas, accusing them of illegally conspiring to thwart competition for artificial intelligence.

Texas

Rise of AI

Elon Musk's xAI sues Apple, OpenAI over competition claims

Strikes on the Nasser hospital in Gaza that left at least 20 people dead, including rescuers, journalists and health-care workers are being met with global outrage. The Israeli military is investigating what Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netnayahu called a ‘tragic mishap.’

Israeli PM calls deadly strikes on Gaza hospital a ‘tragic mishap’

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is back in ICE custody and is facing deportation to Uganda, the Department of Homeland Security says, after he was released from criminal custody last week.

Baltimore

Abrego Garcia in ICE custody, court blocks immediate deportation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he will meet with the U.S. and other countries this week to discuss a potential meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at reaching a ceasefire.

Zelenskiy say he will meet with U.S., others on potential Putin talks

U.S. President Donald Trump says Chicago could be the next city to see National Guard deployment, sparking strong opposition from Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, who argue crime is already falling and federal intervention is unnecessary.

Chicago

Trump threatens to send National Guard troops to Chicago

Four journalists working with Reuters, Al Jazeera and others were killed in explosions at a Gaza hospital. Gaza officials blame Israeli drone strikes, though CBS News has not independently verified the claims.

Jerusalem

Four journalists reported dead after Gaza hospital blasts

U.S. National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington D.C. as part of what President Donald Trump said was his crackdown on crime began carrying weapons on Sunday night, two officials said.

Breakdown