Self-Proclaimed ‘Jesus’ Leader and Followers Arrested in Shocking Remote Camp Raid

Authorities moved in on a remote Alabama campground this week, making multiple arrests at a site that had been occupied for months by a small religious group whose members reportedly believe their leader is an incarnation of Jesus Christ.

According to a video posted Tuesday, Dec. 30, by the Walker County Sheriff’s Office, deputies executed a search warrant at a rural campsite in Empire, Alabama. Sheriff Nick Smith said arrests were made during the operation and that deputies recovered illegal drugs and a handgun from the property.

The group, identified by WBRC 6 News as “More Than the Prophet Ministries,” had been living at the campground for nearly a year. Its leader, Lando — known to followers as Reverend Lamp — told the outlet he invited people from around the country to stay at the site to “get yourself together,” including those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.

Lando said he paid monthly rent for the campsite and claimed the property owner, who lives in Arkansas, asked the group to leave in November. He told WBRC 6 that several members had already departed and that the remaining group was in the process of packing up, with plans to leave by the end of December.

Despite that, deputies moved forward with the warrant. Sheriff Smith said around 15 people from multiple states — including California, New York, Georgia, and Florida — had been staying at the site. Several were arrested, and authorities seized what Smith described as illegal narcotics along with a firearm. He also warned that anyone who returns to the property could face trespassing charges.

“We have arrested some of the individuals connected to this campsite. We have released the others,” Smith said in the video. “They are getting their belongings and they are leaving the property.”

The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.

Lando disputed key parts of the sheriff’s account. He told WBRC 6 that three members were arrested for refusing to provide their names and claimed authorities found marijuana — not narcotics — at the campsite. He also said the handgun belonged to someone who no longer lived there and was legally registered.

Describing himself as “the only begotten son of the living God,” Lando said he was asleep when deputies arrived and woke up to the sound of the warrant being executed. He and other members accused law enforcement of using excessive force, claiming people were handcuffed, forced face down on the road, and that one member had his hair pulled during the operation.

Lando said the situation could have been avoided entirely if deputies had simply told the group to leave, insisting they were already planning to depart that same day.

Sheriff Smith said the operation was supported by the Blount County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, though officials have not clarified what role DHS played in the investigation.