A dozen leaders of a church in Southern California have been arrested for holding homeless persons captive and forcing them to panhandle to collect money for the church. The church has opened numerous affiliated organizations that claim to be invested in “restoring” drug addicts at their rehabilitation homes. The defendants were arrested earlier this week, and have been charged with conspiracy, forced labor, document servitude, as well as benefits fraud. The indictment states that victims were convinced to join the rehab organizations, and were actually held hostage and forced to work and give their welfare benefits to the church.
See "California church leaders charged with forced labor of homeless", Steve Gorman, Reuters, September 12, 2019