FALSE: Old claim on U.S. charges vs KOJC’s Dueñas resurfaces online

Mig Anishi Zamora

A post published on Facebook is recirculating a report claiming that a U.S. court dismissed human trafficking, forced labor, and money laundering charges against Marissa Dueñas, a Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) administrator, following her plea agreement.

CLAIM:

The post claims that Dueñas entered into a plea agreement with U.S. prosecutors that led to the dismissal of human trafficking, forced labor, and money laundering charges against her.

RATING: FALSE

CONCLUSION:
The claim is not a new development and has previously been found to be inaccurate. The U.S. case against Dueñas did not involve substantive charges of human trafficking, forced labor, or money laundering as presented in the post. Her plea agreement instead concerned conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government in connection with marriage fraud.

THE FACTS:

• The claim originated from a 2024 report concerning Dueñas’ plea agreement, rather than from a new U.S. court ruling in 2026. The same report was previously fact-checked by VERA Files after it incorrectly characterized the charges involved in her case.
• According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Dueñas was among KOJC administrators charged in a federal case involving alleged labor trafficking and immigration fraud. However, the charges against the different KOJC defendants were not identical.
• Dueñas later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, admitting her participation in arrangements involving sham marriages intended to help KOJC members obtain or maintain immigration status in the U.S.
• The dismissal of other counts under her plea agreement should not be interpreted as the dismissal of human trafficking, forced labor, and money laundering charges against Dueñas, since these were not substantive charges filed against her in the manner claimed by the post.
• The distinction matters because the human trafficking and forced labor allegations were part of the broader federal case involving KOJC leaders, including Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. Dueñas’ plea agreement involved a different charge concerning conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government.

THE BOTTOMLINE:

The report circulating on Facebook revives an old claim that had already been fact-checked, rather than reporting a new dismissal by a U.S. court. Dueñas’ plea agreement concerned a marriage fraud-related conspiracy, not the dismissal of human trafficking, forced labor, and money laundering charges as the post suggests.