GUILTY UT - Top FLDS leaders arrested in Utah food-stamp fraud, Feb 2016

[Everyday Grace]

[Willie] Jessop adds that Jeffs had an urgency to escape because of other issues that were beginning to surface. Jessop says that the public needs to know that Jeffs crimes go much further than just fraud and that those crimes were starting to catch up to him.

Neither Jessop nor Jeffs son Thomas believe he is in Utah. Thomas says the resources available to his father aren't as abundant like they were for his uncle Warren. He doesn't believe he escaped to Canada because he believes he would be extradited back to the US if he was caught, and says he could try to go to Mexico, but it would be harder to get across the border because his passport was revoked.

"He's probably still here in the United States just hiding out somewhere. He's got places in Oklahoma and several other places. I believe he's got - of course there's South Dakota but, I don't think he'd go there," said Thomas.

More:
http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/lyle-jeffs-reportedly-escapes-custody

Regarding the question of whether Lyle would risk going to the FLDS compound in Custer County, SD...

Some folks thought Warren wouldn't risk going to YFZ in Schleicher County, TX when he was a fugitive.

The reality was Warren went in and out of YFZ with some regularity.

That said, I think Lyle is slicker (and smarter) than Warren so he might not take the risk of going to Custer County.

One irony is that Lyle just handed federal investigators more arguments regarding probable cause for electronic surveillance, access to financial information, etc.

 

[Everyday Grace]

The FBI said it has received a “handful” of tips on the whereabouts of Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Lyle Jeffs, who escaped from home confinement over the weekend.

On Tuesday, the FBI issued a wanted poster for Jeffs and said it is possible the FLDS bishop has fled to Canada or Mexico. The FBI said he has access to various modes of transportation, including airplanes and boats.

More:
http://fox13now.com/2016/06/21/fbi-...er-lyle-jeffs-considered-armed-and-dangerous/

 

[Everyday Grace]

Lyle Jeffs believed the FBI was out to get him.

He warned the people living in his huge home in Hildale about former followers of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who were aiding law enforcement. He made plans to escape any raid through the use of decoy cars. He had hideouts waiting for him.

Any search for Lyle appears to have ended after Warren was captured outside of Las Vegas in August 2006, but Lyle's ex-wife, Charlene Wall Jeffs, has told investigators that her then-husband continued living out of an RV under aliases into 2008.

"He would invite ladies to go and be with him," Charlene said. "And he would travel, he would travel and then stay at the house for X amount of days and then go."

In the years since, Lyle seemed to establish his own network of hiding.

Charlene, who was Lyle's legal wife until she divorced him in 2015, has said she and Lyle owned homes in Kansas and Colorado. Lyle also owned a ranch in South America, she told investigators.

Much more:
http://www.sltrib.com/home/4031323-155/before-running-polygamous-leader-lyle-jeffs

 

[0101ABA]

Interviews and court documents describe the Houses of hiding as being what the name implies, though law enforcement has located some of them over the years. Court papers mention investigators finding such houses in Las Vegas, San Angelo, Texas, and one described as a "remote timbered wilderness area... 25 mountain miles from the nearest small settlement."

Court documents also have described what appears to be a House of hiding near Custer, S.D., not far from where the FLDS has a compound. The rental home outside of Pocatello, Idaho, where authorities found nine FLDS boys living in 2014 under the supervision of a caretaker later convicted of misdemeanor counts of child abuse, also has been described by former followers as a house of hiding.

Much more @ the link: http://www.sltrib.com/home/4036946-155/polygamous-leader-lyle-jeffs-has-a

 

[Dr. Know?]

Polygamist leader Lyle Jeffs used olive oil to escape from custody, FBI says

SALT LAKE CITY — The FBI is revealing how Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Lyle Jeffs managed to escape from custody.

“He used a substance which may have been olive oil to lubricate the GPS tracking band and slip it off his ankle,” Eric Barnhart, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the Salt Lake City field office of the FBI, said in an interview with FOX 13. “The damage to the bracelet was not such to trigger the full array of alarms that law enforcement or the U.S. Marshal’s Service would have responded to.”

http://fox13now.com/2016/07/11/poly...ed-olive-oil-to-escape-from-custody-fbi-says/

 

[Inthedetails]

Polygamist leader Lyle Jeffs used olive oil to escape from custody, FBI says



http://fox13now.com/2016/07/11/poly...ed-olive-oil-to-escape-from-custody-fbi-says/

What?!?!

 

[Everyday Grace]

Polygamist leader Lyle Jeffs used olive oil to escape from custody, FBI says



http://fox13now.com/2016/07/11/poly...ed-olive-oil-to-escape-from-custody-fbi-says/

Barnhart said the night Jeffs vanished from the home, a newer-model [green] Mustang pulled into the garage.

"The garage door went shut. At some point, that vehicle left. We don't know who was driving it, we weren't able to get a plate, we don't know who else was in that vehicle," he said. "If that happens to jog any memories, we just urge the public don't self-select, don't filter stuff out, contact us."

Of course, by now and likely very soon after he left, Lyle is nowhere near that car.

Still, it would be helpful for the FBI to learn who is associated with the car.

Those that know aren't likely to tell, though. :/

 

[Everyday Grace]

In the meantime, the ironclad grip the Jeffs brothers exerted over Short Creek continues to loosen. At a recent July 4th party, thousands of former members returned to the community, something that would have been impossible not long ago. Ben Thomas, a former member, says thousands of FLDS members have left the faith in the last five years. He estimates only 7,000 remain.

So what does the future hold for Short Creek? Chris Wyler, a former FLDS member who lives there, says with each passing day the town turns over to the apostates. The loyalists to the Jeffs brothers, which number between 5,000 to 7,000, are starting to leave, he says. Some have bought property in nearby towns, while others are decamping for lands of refuge in South Dakota and Colorado.

The nail in the coffin for FLDS control over the town could come in October, when the federal judge who presided over the corruption trial in Phoenix earlier this year decides what measures to put in place to rid the town of church control. The Department of Justice has recommended disbanding the marshal's office as a start.

Whether Lyle Jeffs is in prison or still on the run when that happens remains to be seen. One thing that's certain, Brower says, is that the FLDS will continue on in some fashion, either in Utah or elsewhere, and Warren Jeffs won't relinquish his power without a fight.

"That's all Warren has in prison – power and control," Brower says. "He's never going to give that up. He’s going to keep his followers and control over things until the day he dies."

More:
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture...ped-polygamous-cult-leader-lyle-jeffs-w430325

 

[Everyday Grace]

Two leaders of the Fundamentalist LDS Church have been arrested, accused of violating their supervised release.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Utah confirmed late Monday that FLDS bishops Seth Jeffs and John Wayman were arrested for violating the terms of their supervised release. It would not release any details about their arrest, or what violation they may have committed.

Records show both men were booked into the Purgatory Jail without bail. Jeffs and Wayman are scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate judge in St. George on Tuesday.

Both men faced a list of conditions for being released from jail after their February arrest. It included wearing GPS monitoring devices, and having no contact with witnesses or victims.

http://fox13now.com/2016/08/01/flds-leaders-arrested-accused-of-violating-pre-trial-release/

 

[Everyday Grace]

A third defendant pulled back in for violating their terms of release.

Preston Barlow was booked into jail in Washington County Tuesday, while two other defendants in the case, Seth Jeffs and John Wayman were arrested Monday, and expected to appear in front of a federal magistrate Tuesday, in St. George.

Documents from the U.S. probation office say the men "failed to avoid contact" on multiple days in July, including July 29 when Barlow, Wayman and Seth Jeffs were all together. The document says in each case, they were tracked by GPS monitoring.

http://kutv.com/news/local/feds-arr...in-multi-million-dollar-food-stamp-fraud-case

 

[U2forever]

Gff


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Everyday Grace]

Warren Jeffs has been busy.

A brief summary at the Salt Lake Tribune and the US Attorney's Memorandum in Support of Continued Detention of John Wayman and Seth Jeffs

http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/polygamy/4208974-155/warren-jeffs-orders-re-baptisms-appoints-different

Imprisoned polygamist leader Warren Jeffs has sent his fugitive brother on a "repentance mission" and stripped him of his leadership power within the cloistered Fundamentalist LDS Church, federal prosecutors wrote in court documents.

The FLDS leader has also ordered members to be "re-baptized" into the church as a show of loyalty, raising concerns about witness tampering, prosecutors claim.

The revelations about Lyle Jeffs and other FLDS members are part of a filing obtained by FOX 13 that seeks to have FLDS bishops Seth Jeffs and John Wayman remain jailed pending federal trial in a massive food stamp fraud case. They were recently re-arrested after the FBI claimed GPS monitoring devices placed them in contact with each other.

Both Seth Jeffs and John Wayman are scheduled to appear before a federal judge on Tuesday afternoon. Late Monday, Wayman's lawyer asked a federal judge to delay that hearing to give him time to go over hundreds of pages filed by the government in court.

More at the link including two awesome handwritten letters from Warren:

http://fox13now.com/2016/08/08/warr...n-orders-flds-members-re-baptized-feds-claim/

And apparently running the FLDS Church from a Texas prison cell, Warren Jeffs removed his fugitive brother, Lyle Jeffs, as presiding bishop of the Short Creek Stake and replaced him with another brother.

In addition, Jeffs directed the new bishop, Nephi Jeffs, to appoint Seth Jeffs, another brother of Warren Jeffs, and John Wayman as his counselors or assistants, according to a government memorandum filed Monday in U.S. District Court.

The government contends Seth Jeffs and Wayman met four times last month in violation of a court order to not have contact with potential witnesses or co-defendants in the case.

A hearing on the issue is scheduled Tuesday for Seth Jeffs. Wayman's hearing was postponed to Aug. 22 at the request of his lawyer.

At the time of their arrests last Monday, Wayman had $29,000 in cash in his car and a set of out-of-state license plates, and Seth Jeffs had $8,000 in his car, court document say.

Federal prosecutors also say Warren Jeffs directed Nephi Jeffs, Seth Jeffs and Wayman to compile a list of former United Order members to interview for re-baptism into the order.

To do that, they met surreptitiously at a Short Creek meetinghouse at 1 a.m., according to prosecutors. Authorities say GPS monitoring shows the men met on July 26, 28, 29, and 30, and that Preston Barlow, who also was arrested last week for allegedly violating pretrial release conditions, attended the July 29 meeting.

Many of those former United Order members consecrated their federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP benefits to the church as alleged in the indictment, according to court documents. Prosecutor say that raises substantial concerns that the defendants will tamper with prospective witnesses.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=40989642

The court documents reveal the inner turmoil of a sect under pressure from federal authorities as well as "apostates," former members who remain in the vicinity of the FLDS home base of Short Creek, the abutting communities of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona.

They also show that the FBI is closely watching the FLDS. Some of the reports attached to the government's motion were compiled as recently as Friday.

Included among the documents are FBI reports, letters from Jeffs, news and weather clippings concerning natural disasters, wars and other mass tragedies, what appears to be a list of every FLDS follower living in Short Creek.

The documents indicate that Warren Jeffs has named a new bishop of Short Creek, replacing one brother, Lyle, with another, Nephi. The prophet also has abolished his sect's elite United Order, which was established under Lyle. The prophet has placed his followers on "restoral status," meaning they must renew their commitment to the FLDS. "My church order are out of order," Jeffs wrote in his distinctive block printing in a June 3 letter to his flock. He added that the "bishop's assistant," Ben Johnson, "is of no priesthood and needs go far away on repenting labor" and is barred from communicating with other members.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/08/us/flds-warren-jeffs/

 

[Everyday Grace]

Catching up on Preston Barlow, the third defendant in the fraud case rearrested earlier this month for violating terms of his release.

Barlow was re-released last week because modified conditions of his original release terms allowed him to communicate with co-defendants as long as they did not discuss the case.

As such, pre-trial services would not be able to prove Barlow violated the terms by meeting with Wyman and Jeffs in Short Creek and they acknowledge as such during last week's hearing.

At that hearing held in St. George, a federal judge ordered Barlow's release.

He also rescinded his April 14 order modifying the release terms and issued a new condition of release that prohibits Barlow from communicating with Warren Jeff, as well as co-defendants for any purpose as stated in the original terms of release.

https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/a...ibits-contact-with-warren-jeffs/#.V6sUM3pOnqA

 

[Everyday Grace]

Two must see/must read accounts from former FLDS members Brenda Nicholson and Jessica Rohbock.

Powerful messages.

http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/polygamy/3918652-155/documentary-short-tells-a-familys-escape

http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/polygamy/3906998-155/heres-an-inside-look-at-life

The Tribune piece on Jessica's 2008 diary entries includes a link to her blog where she published those entries as well as her thoughts then and now as to the 2008 events at YFZ in Texas.

 

[Margo/Mom]

I have been watching Escaping Polygamy, which actually bounces around between several sects. Most of the excapees are young women (young men have less need to escape--they tend to get put out if they are not viewed favorably) who have not children yet. Some are aware that they are being groomed for marriage to a much older mate.

However a few episodes have dealt with others more deeply entangled, including on daughter of Jeffs who has been attempting to contact a younger sibling. What is striking is the depth of belief and fear that continues even once one is outside of the sect. This week's episode included a young woman, having all of the typical soft-voice proclamations of loving her community and Jeffs as her prophet. She was, however, deemed unworthy to parent one of her children and sought help in re-contacting with the child. She was reunited, although the child herself was deeply convinced of her mother's unworthiness. In the end they ran back to the community. Incredibly, incredibly sad.

http://www.usmagazine.com/entertain...says-im-not-worthy-to-see-my-daughter-w434398.

 

[0101ABA]

:facepalm:

This attorney actually evoked the “rapture” as a criminal defense.

The lawyer of a polygamist sect leader accused of stealing millions of dollars in federal benefits appeared to jokingly entertain the bizarre notion in a Utah court filing Tuesday.

“Whether his absence is based on absconding…or whether he experienced the miracle of rapture is unknown to counsel,” Kathryn Nester wrote, referring to her client, Lyle Jeffs, who disappeared without a trace in June.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/utah-sect-leader-lam-experienced-rapture-article-1.2763296

Lyle Jeffs response to the motion to continue

 

[jjenny]

I have been watching Escaping Polygamy, which actually bounces around between several sects. Most of the excapees are young women (young men have less need to escape--they tend to get put out if they are not viewed favorably) who have not children yet. Some are aware that they are being groomed for marriage to a much older mate.

However a few episodes have dealt with others more deeply entangled, including on daughter of Jeffs who has been attempting to contact a younger sibling. What is striking is the depth of belief and fear that continues even once one is outside of the sect. This week's episode included a young woman, having all of the typical soft-voice proclamations of loving her community and Jeffs as her prophet. She was, however, deemed unworthy to parent one of her children and sought help in re-contacting with the child. She was reunited, although the child herself was deeply convinced of her mother's unworthiness. In the end they ran back to the community. Incredibly, incredibly sad.

http://www.usmagazine.com/entertain...says-im-not-worthy-to-see-my-daughter-w434398.

Some of the men get kicked out when they are still young. Pretty obvious that this is done so men who are allowed to remain can get multiple wives. So not all men have it easy either. If they are kicked out as young men, it's very hard for them to fit in society. They don't have a support system or a good formal education.

 

[Everyday Grace]

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered two men accused of committing food-stamp fraud to benefit the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to remain in jail pending trial.

The defendants are scheduled for trial Oct. 3, though at least three of them have asked the trial be postponed until at least May in order to sift through what all sides have described as a massive amount of evidence, including undercover audio and video recordings. Stewart has scheduled a conference for Aug. 30 to consider whether to delay the trial.

http://www.sltrib.com/home/4257196-155/religion-is-a-topic-as-judge

 

[Gardener1850]

FBI offering $50,000 reward for info leading to capture of Lyle Jeffs http://www.businessinsider.com/r-fb...ture-of-escaped-polygamous-sect-leader-2016-8

 

[0101ABA]

A high-ranking polygamous leader has been released from jail after pleading guilty in a multimillion-dollar food-stamp fraud case.

Seth Jeffs agreed to a deal Wednesday that spares him more jail time or a fine. The 43-year-old became the second of 11 defendants to plead guilty, and more deals are in the works.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/seth-jeffs-polygamous-leader-takes-plea-deal-in-food-stamp-fraud-case/