‘Prophetess’ charged in multi-state ‘forced labor conspiracy’

A Michigan federal grand jury indicted an individual for her alleged involvement in a “forced labor conspiracy” spanning Michigan, Florida, Texas and Missouri.

Kathleen Klein, also known as “Prophetess,” ran a network of call centers throughout several states and “used forced labor to solicit donations” for Kingdom of God Global Church (KOGGC), according to a Thursday Department of Justice(DOJ) press release.

“Victims were forced to work grueling hours at the call centers without pay and pressured to hit impossible fundraising targets,” the press release stated. “When victims fell short of leaders’ goals or dared to push back, the punishment was severe: public humiliation, sleep deprivation, physical violence, withholding of food and shelter, forced repentance rituals, and threats of eternal damnation.”

Klein, 53, allegedly controlled “virtually every aspect of their victims’ lives.” According to the press release, KOGGC collected “roughly $50 million in donations,” used by church leaders to pay for “personal real estate, vehicles, travel, and luxury goods.”

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said via the press release that the case “reflects the gravity of forced labor schemes that strip victims of their basic human rights and subject them to physical and brutal psychological abuse.”

“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,” he continued.

Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office called the action a “direct assault on human freedom” which “strips victims of their dignity, autonomy, and basic right to control their own lives,” according to the release.

“Anyone who conspires to exploit and enslave others for profit will be held fully accountable under the law,” Runyan said. “This case demonstrates the strength of our federal, state, and local partnerships in dismantling a multi-state forced labor operation. We will not stop until these criminal networks are shut down and justice is delivered.”

A federal grand jury indicted two individuals in August 2025 for their alleged roles in the same conspiracy, charging them with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit forced labor.

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