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Warren Jeffs

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File:Jeffs mugshot.jpg
Warren Jeffs in a Las Vegas booking photograph stemming from Jeffs' August 28th, 2006 arrest

Warren Steed Jeffs (born December 3, 1955 in San Francisco, California) is the President of Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (part of the Latter Day Saint movement). As president of the Church, he is considered by faithful members to be a prophet, seer, and revelator of God's will on behalf of humanity.

In May 2006, he was placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution (of state charges). Jeffs was apprehended by Nevada Highway Patrolman Eddie Dutchover on August 28, 2006 just north of Las Vegas during a routine traffic stop. He was immediately charged with evading police custody and having sexual relations with a minor.[1]

Role as leader of the FLDS

Warren Jeffs' official title in the FLDS Church is "President and Prophet, Seer and Revelator." He also holds the title of "President of the Priesthood." As "First Counselor," he succeeded to these positions in the Church after the death of his father Rulon Jeffs, who died on September 8, 2002.[1] [2] One of his first statements after his father's death was directed at high-ranking officials in the church: "I won't say much, but I will say this—-hands off my father's wives." Then addressing the recent widows, he said, "You women will live as if father is still alive and in the next room." Within a week, Warren had married all but two of his father's several dozen wives. [3] After this, he continued to wed himself to many more women.

File:Warrenjeffs.jpg
Warren Jeffs

As Prophet and leader of the FLDS, Warren Jeffs has a considerable amount of control over members of the church and their private behavior. He has instituted rules that segregate and isolate FLDS members from news and society. Toward that end, and at Jeffs' direction, a group of FLDS men called the "Sons of Helaman" were at one point assigned to check that homes contained only "approved" literature.

Jeffs, the sole individual in the church who can perform marriages, is responsible for assigning wives to husbands. If on good terms with Jeffs, a member of the FLDS can be assigned more than one wife.[citation needed] Jeffs also has the ability to punish men by reassigning their wives, children, and homes to another man.[citation needed] Moreover, the FLDS Church owns essentially all of the homes and real estate in the areas where its members reside, and members who do not abide by the rules can be removed from their homes and cast out of the society.[citation needed]

In 2000 the Colorado City Unified School District had more than 1,200 students. When Jeffs ordered FLDS members to pull their children out of public schools, the number declined to around 250. He did not order the FLDS members who made up the majority of the school district's administrators to quit their positions [4].

Until courts in Utah recently intervened, Jeffs controlled almost all of the land in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, property which was part of a church trust, the United Effort Plan (UEP), which has been estimated to be worth over $100 million. Currently, all UEP assets are in the custody of the Utah court system pending further litigation. In January 2004, Jeffs exhibited his power by expelling a group of 20 men from Colorado City, including the mayor, and reassigning their wives and children to other men. Jeffs teaches that a man has to have at least three wives in order to get into heaven; former church members claim that Jeffs himself has seventy wives (Egan, 2005). Before his 2006 arrest, Jeffs had last been sighted on January 1, 2005 near Eldorado, Texas, at the dedication ceremony of the foundation of a large and elaborate new FLDS temple on an area of land called the YFZ Ranch. The media have reported that Jeffs' church has designated or will soon designate the area as its new home base.

On June 10, 2006, the Arizona Attorney General told the Deseret Morning News that he had heard from several sources that Jeffs had returned to Arizona, and had performed marriages in a mobile home that was being used as a wedding chapel. [5]

Sex crime allegations and FBI's Most Wanted

A photo of Warren Jeffs from his wanted poster on the FBI web site.

In June 2005, Warren Jeffs was charged with sexual assault on a minor, and with conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor for allegedly arranging, in 2002, a marriage between a 16-year-old girl and a 28-year-old man who was already married. He faces those charges in Mohave County, Arizona. In July 2005, the Arizona Attorney General's office distributed wanted posters offering $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of Jeffs.

In late 2005, Jeffs was put on the FBI's most wanted fugitive list, offering $60,000 for information leading to his arrest. Shortly after being placed on the FBI list, Warren Jeffs was featured on the television program America's Most Wanted.

Around this time, Warren Jeffs' brother, Seth Steed Jeffs, was arrested under suspicion of harboring a fugitive. During a routine traffic stop on October 28, 2005, in Pueblo County, Colorado, police found nearly $142,000 in cash, about $7,000 worth of prepaid debit cards, and Warren Jeffs' personal records. During Seth Jeffs' court case, FBI agent Andrew Stearns testified Jeffs had told him that he didn't know where his older brother was and that he would not reveal his whereabouts if he did. Convicted of harboring a fugitive on May 1, 2006.[6], he was sentenced to three years' probation and a $2500 fine on July 14, 2006.[7]

File:Sethjeffsmugshot.jpg
Seth Jeffs' mugshot following his 2005 arrest for harboring his fugitive brother

On April 5, 2006,The State of Utah issued an arrest warrant for Jeffs on felony charges of accomplice rape of a teenage girl between 14 and 18 years old.

On May 7, 2006, the FBI placed Jeffs on their Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. In addition, the bounty on his head was raised to $100,000, and the public was warned that "Jeffs may travel with a number of loyal and armed bodyguards."[8]

The updated posters warned that Jeffs had ties to Utah, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, South Dakota, British Columbia, and Quintana Roo, Mexico. There is also information that he has ties to some rural farms run by some of his followers near Pioche, Nevada, as well as construction companies in Mesquite, Nevada.[9] CNN has reported that the group may be setting up a new base in Pringle, South Dakota[10]

Further charges were filed against Jeffs on May 27, 2006, by Bruce Wisan, the court-appointed accountant in charge of the FLDS' trust fund. Wisan claimed that Jeffs is responsible for "fleecing trust assets." Along with church leaders, former trustees Truman Barlow, Leroy Jeffs, James Zitting, and William Jessop were also named as defendants. "We feel that they’ve taken things from the trust," Wisan said. "Their actions have caused harm to the trust." [11]

The Deseret News reported on June 8, 2006, that Jeffs had recently returned to Colorado City to perform more "child bride" marriages. Nearby citizens pointed out a mobile home where the weddings had allegedly taken place. [12]

August 2006 arrest

On August 28, 2006, around 9 p.m. local time, Warren Jeffs was arrested on Interstate 15 in Clark County, Nevada, north of Las Vegas, during a routine traffic stop, when he was recognized by a local officer. He was found to be carrying computers, 15 cell phones, disguises (including three wigs), and a total of more than $54,000 in cash with him in the vehicle.

Jeffs's red 2007 Cadillac Escalade was pulled over because the vehicle's temporary license plates from Colorado were not visible. Naomi Jeffs, one of Jeffs' wives, and Isaac Steve Jeffs, his brother, were both in the vehicle and detained for questioning. Both were released and not charged with any crime.[2] [3]

In a Nevada court hearing on August 31, 2006 Jeffs waived extradition and agreed to return to Utah [4] to face felony charges of accomplice rape. Arizona prosecutors are next in line to try Jeffs.

Recent media publicity and research

On July 19, 2006, Britain's Channel 4 ran the documentary The Man With 80 Wives. The program featured presenter Sanjiv Bhattacharya searching for Warren Jeffs, unsuccessfully, in Colorado, Utah and Texas. Filmed before Jeffs was put on the FBI's 10 most wanted list, the documentary features interviews with one of Jeffs's brothers as well as with with several excommunicated FLDS members.

In 2003, Under the Banner of Heaven was published, a book written by Jon Krakauer documenting the history of both the LDS church and its spinoff sects, focusing largely on the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The book described illegal activity in the Church, mainly polygamy and statutory rape.

Sound clip

List of Warren Jeffs' wives

Warren Jeffs is reported to have up to 75 wives and 56 children. He married many of his father's wives. He also married nine of Merril Jessop's daughters.

  • Naomi Jeffs - Born 1974 - Former wife of Warren's Father Rulon (Daughter of Merril Jessop)
  • Paula Jeffs - Former wife of Warren's Father Rulon (Daughter of Merril Jessop)
  • Carolyn Jeffs- Former wife, left Warren and took her seven children (Daughter of Merril Jessop)
  • Barbara Anne Barlow - Died July 10, 2003 at age 39. Battled with cancer, but determined to have passed away of natural causes.

See also

References

  1. ^ Arrest Warrants and Affidavits
  2. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/08/29/polygamist.arrest.ap/index.html
  3. ^ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,210959,00.html
  4. ^ http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Aug-31-Thu-2006/news/9362667.html
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