Group of Southern California church leaders arrested on charges of conspiracy, forced labor, document servitude and benefits fraud.
A group of Southern California church leaders were arrested on Tuesday in a forced labor case involving homeless people who were allegedly held against their will and coerced to surrender their welfare benefits to the church.
Imperial Valley Ministries has about 30 non-denominational churches across the U.S. and Mexico. Its mission is to"restore" drug addicts at faith-based group homes and raise money to open churches in other cities to do the same, according to the indictment."The indictment alleges an appalling abuse of power by church officials who preyed on vulnerable homeless people with promises of a warm bed and meals," U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer said in a statement Tuesday.
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