Investigative Journalist on Allegations Against LA Pastor Robert Shinn

Federal Raid and Previous Reports

• 🎯 Federal authorities recently raided a property linked to Robert Shinn, the subject of the Netflix documentary “Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult.”
• 💡 Former members had been reporting Shinn to agencies like the IRS, FBI, and Department of Labor since as early as March/April 2022.
• 💰 Allegations include converting church donations into for-profit businesses and using tax-free money illegally.
• ⚠️ Mail fraud is described as just the "tip of the iceberg" of alleged crimes.

Property and Detained Individuals

• 🏠 The raided property in Tahunga, formerly a school, was purchased by Shinn in 2020 and is being converted into a church, with an apartment building on-site housing members.
• 👥 Individuals detained during the raid included Shinn's son Isaiah, mentors Shirley and Matthew Shin, Young Bin Kim (a convicted armed robber), Luke Song, and Gio.
• 📍 Robert Shinn himself was at his $2 million home in Porter Ranch with his wife Hannah.

Cult-like Organization and Past Allegations

• ⏳ The church, under various iterations, has been operating for over 25 years, with Shinn recently gaining attention for recruiting TikTok dancers.
• 🎭 Shinn has a history of running a cult-like organization, previously changing his name from Israel Shin to Robert Shin after a 2008 church split.
• 🚫 In 2008, Shinn faced accusations of sexual assault from at least six women, leading to the church's division.
• 🌐 Shinn has a pattern of changing his identity and moving to avoid scrutiny, with the Tahunga property being his third or fourth location.
• 👥 Current members are allegedly being labor trafficked and sex trafficked, with their lives being completely controlled.