(Photo: Televangelist David E. Taylor was arrested for forced labor and money laundering.)
Is God using law enforcement to remove predators from pulpits and dismantle cults worldwide?
Since the end of August leaders of American, Mexican and South Korean cults have been indicted or charged with crimes. The American indictments follow three multi-year criminal investigations conducted by the FBI.
On the morning of August 27th, FBI agents conducted raids in four states of properties owned by Kingdom of God Global Church and arrested cult leaders David E. Taylor and Michelle Brannon.
Two weeks later, a new indictment of Naasón Joaquín García, head of the Mexican cult La Luz Del Mundo (LLDM) which means “Light of the World” in Spanish, was unsealed revealing charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking conspiracy. It is quite rare for religious leaders to be convicted of racketeering. He plead guilty to previous charges and went to prison in 2022.
(Photo: Naasón García was originally arrested by the United States in 2019.)
On the same day Garcia’s indictment was unsealed, the FBI raided a home in Martinez, Georgia, tied to House of Prayer Christian Churches of America (HPCCA). The organization’s founder Rony Denis is accused of defrauding the Veterans Administration of $23.5 million.
Judge Brian Epps has already established a schedule for Denis and fellow HPCCA leaders.
(Screenshot: The Scheduling and Discovery Order is available from PACER, the federal government court website. PACER is an acronym for Public Access to Court Electronic Records.)
On September 23nd, Hak Ja Han (widow of Sun Myung Moon or Mrs. Moon), head of the South Korean-based Unification Church cult, was arrested for bribing Kim Keon Hee, the former first lady of South Korea.
Toxic Theology Empowers Cult Leaders
Warren Cole Smith, president of MinistryWatch, reported in his book Faith-Based Fraud that “faith-based fraud is almost always predictable, and bad theology is that predictor.”
Bad theology is at the heart of cults, and it is noted in court filings.
The indictment of LLDM Apostle Naasón García exposes abusive church doctrine: “The Apostle cannot sin, and therefore, nothing the Apostle does is a sin.”
The indictment also reveals that members of the LLDM are not allowed to dissent from any church teaching:
“The only way for members of the LLDM Church to obtain eternal salvation is to follow the teachings of the Apostle. God will punish and eternally damn anyone who doubts the Apostle, fails to follow the Apostle’s teachings, or defies the Apostle.”
The Unification Church also strays from biblical orthodoxy. It teaches that Hak Ja Han, has become a True Parent, attaining a higher spiritual status than Jesus Christ.
Hak Ja Han’s deceased husband Sun Myung Moon preached that Jesus never achieved “True Parent” status because he failed to marry and have children.
(Screenshot: By collaborating with American politicians and religious leaders, the Unification Church has gained support in the United States. Paula White bows to Mrs. Moon in South Korea.)
In November 2024, the United States indicted Philippine cult leader Apollo Quiboloy, who claimed to be “the appointed son of God.”
The indictment reveals that Quiboloy’s Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) employed pastorals, females from age 12 to 25, as personal assistants for Quiboloy and were required to perform sexual acts as part of “night duty.”
According to the indictment, “Defendant Quiboloy and other KOJC administrators told pastorals that performing ‘night duty’ was ‘God’s will’ and a privilege, as well as a necessary demonstration of the pastoral’s commitment to give her body to defendant Quiboloy as ‘The Appointed Son of God.’”
Sexual Abuse
The MeToo/ChurchToo Movement has empowered victims of sexual abuse to seek justice in the courts.
After rape victim Cindy Clemishire shared her story with The Wartburg Watch, Southlake, Texas-based Gateway Church senior pastor Robert Morris resigned.
The Oklahoma Attorney General launched an investigation and filed five charges against Morris.
In a plea deal, Morris received a 10-year prison sentence of which 9.5 years was suspended.
Clemishire also sued both Robert Morris and his wife Deborah Morris, the Robert Morris Evangelistic Association, Gateway Church and nine church leaders in Dallas County Court. A jury trial is scheduled for June 15, 2026. Plaintiffs Cindy and her father Jerry Clemishire “seek monetary relief over $1,000,000.”
(Screenshot: Dallas County, Texas Courts Portal)
The lawsuit alleges the defendants “knew that Defendant Robert Morris had sexually abused and raped Plaintiff, Cindy Clemishire, a minor, and attempted to cover up the abuse in order to continue to profit from the church.”
The defendants have filed motions to have the case dismissed. On November 21st and December 4th court hearings are scheduled which will determine the outcome of the motions to dismiss, as shown in the following Screenshot.
Defendants are alleging the lawsuit was filed after a statute of limitations passed. Texas state law imposes a statute of limitations for one year to file libel cases.
However, some of the alleged libelous statements were made after The Wartburg Watch article was published on June 14, 2025. The lawsuit was not filed until June 11, 2025.
During his time as pastor, Morris told church donors that Gateway Church would return their tithes if they were not satisfied with the church. Following the disclosure of Morris abusing Clemishire, church donors requested a return of tithes, but the church failed to return the donations.
Gateway Church donors filed a class action lawsuit which has the potential to create a court precedent for requiring churches to return donations.
On September 17th, Judge Amos Mazzant denied Gateway Church’s motion to have the case dismissed. The plaintiffs are planning to submit an amended complaint to the court in October.
Court-Imposed Deadlines and the Discovery Process
Court cases are often time-consuming. eLocal reports, “As a guide, the average time for courts to reach disposition from the time of the arrest is 256 days for felony cases and 193 days for misdemeanors.”
While judges impose deadlines on prosecutors and defendants in attempts to ensure speedy trials, in complex cases the discovery process can take months or even years.
Legal Dictionary defines discovery, “A pre-trial process in which each side requests relevant information and documents from the other. Parties must provide the requested information or documents or show good cause to the court why they should not have to do so.”
Apollo Quiboloy’s court case involves a massive collection of data. Quiboloy’s attorney Vicki Podberesky requested more time to review evidence.
“To date, the government has made 31 document productions consisting of 5 terabytes of discovery, over 2,000 audio/video recordings, digital data from approximately 100 seized devices, and thousands of foreign language documents and communications in the Cebuano and/or Tagalog languages.”
Civil cases such as libel lawsuits may also take years to resolve. In December 2019, James MacDonald, former pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, sued talk radio talk show host Mancow Muller for libel. Almost six years later, the case has yet to be resolved.
One of the reasons MacDonald’s libel lawsuit has taken so long is the deadline for discovery has been extended multiple times.
Seizing Assets
Lawsuits and indictments are a gold mine for investigative reporters. Sometimes these documents disclose assets unknown to the public which reveal the accumulation of wealth by religious leaders and their non-profit organizations.
The new indictment of Naasón García reveals the United States is attempting to seize four homes owned by García’s church. One of the homes is worth $3.6 million, according to the Zillow real estate website.
In April 2023, the United States sued Kevin Adell, head of The Word Network, to seize a Broomfield Hills, Michigan, home it alleges is owned by Adell. The property is registered to Orchard Lake Property Trust. The lawsuit alleges that Adell owes almost $18 million in estate and gift taxes, following the death of his father, Franklin Adell in 2006.
Court Jurisdiction
Courts have jurisdiction for cases based on location of infraction or location of parties and the subject matter of the litigation.
After Second Baptist Church amended its bylaws to eliminate church member voting rights, members of the church created the Jeremiah Counsel Corporation and filed a lawsuit in Harris County, Texas, to have the new bylaws revoked.
Attorneys for the church challenged the original jurisdiction, filing a notice the case would be moved to the Texas Business Court, Eleventh Division.
(Screenshot: Notice filed in Harris County Clerk of Court website.)
If the Second Baptist case is not resolved by summary judgment, it is scheduled to be heard by a jury on February 2, 2026.
(Screenshot: re:SearchTX)
Sealing of Divorce Cases
In July 2024, televangelist Benny Hinn’s wife Suzanne Hinn filed for divorce for the second time, requesting spousal support. Suzanne also asked the court to require Benny to cover attorney’s fees and forensic accountant fees.
In August 2024, Benny requested an extension for more time to respond. The documents in the divorce case are no longer available to the public.
Trinity Foundation reviewed a list of the couple’s known property assets and found no changes since Suzanne filed for divorce.
(Screenshot: Hillsborough County Clerk of Court)
It is common for public figures to request court documents be sealed during and after a divorce.
I.V. Hilliard, founder of New Light Church in Houston, filed for divorce in November 2024, from his wife Bridget Hilliard. The Juice Radio and Talk Show on YouTube obtained screenshots of the court docket before the divorce case was sealed.
Visitors to the Harris County Clerk of Court receive notice that the case is confidential when searching by case number 202468158.
Seeing the Bigger Picture
Perhaps, there has never been a greater need for Christian court reporters than now.
In the United States there are more than 20 active court cases involving church and ministry leaders. To make informed decisions, donors need accurate, thorough reporting on church and ministry scandals.
Indictments and court filings provide insight into how laws apply to religious non-profit organizations and religious leaders committing criminal acts. They also shed light on the techniques that criminals use to harm and deceive church members.
In a transparent manner scripture exposes, rather than covers up, the sins of powerful religious leaders, setting an example for 21st century church members and journalists.