Warren Jeffs BUSTED
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azsnowman
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Warren Jeffs BUSTED
FINALLY.....one of the FBI'S 10 most wanted was BUSTED last night near Las Vegas, wonder if the highway patrolmen who made the arrest will receive the $100K reward
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azsnowman
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http://www.azcentral.com
Polygamist fugitive allegedly tried to lie his way out
Dennis Wagner
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 29, 2006 03:55 PM
When fugitive polygamist leader Warren Steed Jeffs, 50, was taken into custody late Monday by FBI agents after a traffic stop along Interstate 15 north of Las Vegas, he initially gave the state trooper a false name and fraudulent identification, authorities said.
Jeffs, 50, was not wearing a disguise and was unarmed.
He is the president and so-called prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which has polygamous communities in Arizona, Utah, Texas and Canada. The church is not affiliated with the mainstream Mormon faith. advertisement
Jeffs was wanted in Arizona and Utah on felony sex charges in connection with polygamous marriages involving minor girls. He has been on the run since last summer, following his indictment in Arizona on sex-related charges for arranging the marriages of underage girls to older men.
“Capturing Warren Jeffs is not the end of the story by any means,” said Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard. “But it’s just a terrific triumph for law enforcement… The most important point is proving to everyone that Warren Jeffs couldn’t flaunt the rule of law.”
Goddard and prosecutors in Utah have dogged the FLDS church for several years, targeting fraud and corruption in the hamlets of Colorado City and Hildale, on the Arizona-Utah border.
The FBI launched a nationwide dragnet for Jeffs, placing him on the bureau’s list of the 10 most wanted fugitives and offering a $100,000 reward. This spring, America’s Most Wanted broadcast a television report seeking tips on his whereabouts.
But Monday’s arrest appears to have been the result of serendipity and good police work. Jeffs and one of his wives, Naomi, were passengers in a red 2007 Cadillac Escalade that was pulled over by Nevada state troopers just outside Las Vegas on Monday night. The troopers will not receive the reward money.
John Lewis, special agent in charge of at the Phoenix FBI office, said Jeffs’ brother, Isaac, was behind the wheel. The troopers became suspicious of his conduct, Lewis said, and took the passengers aside to question them separately.
According to Lewis, Warren Jeffs identified himself to one of the troopers as John Findley and provided a contact lens receipt with that name as proof. After obtaining conflicting statements from the trio, Lewis said, officers obtained permission to search the vehicle.
Inside, they found more than $54,000 in cash, 15 cell phones, four portable radios, three wigs, numerous sunglasses, a duffle bag full of envelopes, laptop computers, a GPS device, a police scanner and cash cards worth $10,000.
Lewis said the paperwork included Warren Jeffs’ name and references to “the prophet.” Based on that evidence, the troopers suspected they may have captured Jeffs and called FBI agents.
Lewis said the 50-year-old FLDS leader identified himself correctly when the first agent arrived. “Mr. Jeffs was cordial during the interview, although he was not cooperative,” Lewis added.
Jeffs complained about “religious persecution,” Lewis said, but refused to answer any questions. He was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on a federal warrant for unlawful flight.
Goddard said he has no illusions that the church will dissolve with Jeffs behind bars, but he believes women and children who were victims of sexual abuse may feel safe to come forward.
“Until today, Warren Jeffs was able to say, ‘I’m above the law,’ and his followers were terrorized by that,” Goddard added. “He had divine intervention that would smite them… His control has got to be weaker than it was yesterday.”
Former church members seemed less certain of the impact, suggesting that the spiritual leader may only increase his status while in government custody. “It changes the control and command a little bit,” said Merril Stubbs, 29, a former church member. “But they believe strongly in what they call the one-man doctrine. And, as long as he’s alive, Warren Jeffs is the man. “I think it will solidify their core even more… He is God to them, not just a prophet. He’s God on earth.’’
“He’s going to be a martyr. They’re going to believe in him now more than ever,” agreed Brigham Fischer, 33, another FLDS exile who now lives in Macon, Ga.
Rod Parker, a Salt Lake City attorney who has represented Jeffs in the past, agreed with that assessment: “They feel very isolated right now,” Parker said, referring to FLDS members. “This will be viewed as an example of them being treated unfairly because they don’t see Warren Jeffs as a criminal. They see it as persecution.”
Paul Charlton, U.S. Attorney in Phoenix, said Jeffs will be brought to Arizona or Utah after a removal hearing, though it is not clear which state will have first claim on prosecution.
The indictment against Jeffs in Washington County, Utah, is for rape as an accomplice, a Class 2 felony. He is wanted in Arizona for charges stemming from the arranged marriage of a 16-year-old girl to a married man.
Charlton said federal authorities in the U.S. District Court for Nevada would seek to have Jeffs held without bail.
Polygamist fugitive allegedly tried to lie his way out
Dennis Wagner
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 29, 2006 03:55 PM
When fugitive polygamist leader Warren Steed Jeffs, 50, was taken into custody late Monday by FBI agents after a traffic stop along Interstate 15 north of Las Vegas, he initially gave the state trooper a false name and fraudulent identification, authorities said.
Jeffs, 50, was not wearing a disguise and was unarmed.
He is the president and so-called prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which has polygamous communities in Arizona, Utah, Texas and Canada. The church is not affiliated with the mainstream Mormon faith. advertisement
Jeffs was wanted in Arizona and Utah on felony sex charges in connection with polygamous marriages involving minor girls. He has been on the run since last summer, following his indictment in Arizona on sex-related charges for arranging the marriages of underage girls to older men.
“Capturing Warren Jeffs is not the end of the story by any means,” said Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard. “But it’s just a terrific triumph for law enforcement… The most important point is proving to everyone that Warren Jeffs couldn’t flaunt the rule of law.”
Goddard and prosecutors in Utah have dogged the FLDS church for several years, targeting fraud and corruption in the hamlets of Colorado City and Hildale, on the Arizona-Utah border.
The FBI launched a nationwide dragnet for Jeffs, placing him on the bureau’s list of the 10 most wanted fugitives and offering a $100,000 reward. This spring, America’s Most Wanted broadcast a television report seeking tips on his whereabouts.
But Monday’s arrest appears to have been the result of serendipity and good police work. Jeffs and one of his wives, Naomi, were passengers in a red 2007 Cadillac Escalade that was pulled over by Nevada state troopers just outside Las Vegas on Monday night. The troopers will not receive the reward money.
John Lewis, special agent in charge of at the Phoenix FBI office, said Jeffs’ brother, Isaac, was behind the wheel. The troopers became suspicious of his conduct, Lewis said, and took the passengers aside to question them separately.
According to Lewis, Warren Jeffs identified himself to one of the troopers as John Findley and provided a contact lens receipt with that name as proof. After obtaining conflicting statements from the trio, Lewis said, officers obtained permission to search the vehicle.
Inside, they found more than $54,000 in cash, 15 cell phones, four portable radios, three wigs, numerous sunglasses, a duffle bag full of envelopes, laptop computers, a GPS device, a police scanner and cash cards worth $10,000.
Lewis said the paperwork included Warren Jeffs’ name and references to “the prophet.” Based on that evidence, the troopers suspected they may have captured Jeffs and called FBI agents.
Lewis said the 50-year-old FLDS leader identified himself correctly when the first agent arrived. “Mr. Jeffs was cordial during the interview, although he was not cooperative,” Lewis added.
Jeffs complained about “religious persecution,” Lewis said, but refused to answer any questions. He was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on a federal warrant for unlawful flight.
Goddard said he has no illusions that the church will dissolve with Jeffs behind bars, but he believes women and children who were victims of sexual abuse may feel safe to come forward.
“Until today, Warren Jeffs was able to say, ‘I’m above the law,’ and his followers were terrorized by that,” Goddard added. “He had divine intervention that would smite them… His control has got to be weaker than it was yesterday.”
Former church members seemed less certain of the impact, suggesting that the spiritual leader may only increase his status while in government custody. “It changes the control and command a little bit,” said Merril Stubbs, 29, a former church member. “But they believe strongly in what they call the one-man doctrine. And, as long as he’s alive, Warren Jeffs is the man. “I think it will solidify their core even more… He is God to them, not just a prophet. He’s God on earth.’’
“He’s going to be a martyr. They’re going to believe in him now more than ever,” agreed Brigham Fischer, 33, another FLDS exile who now lives in Macon, Ga.
Rod Parker, a Salt Lake City attorney who has represented Jeffs in the past, agreed with that assessment: “They feel very isolated right now,” Parker said, referring to FLDS members. “This will be viewed as an example of them being treated unfairly because they don’t see Warren Jeffs as a criminal. They see it as persecution.”
Paul Charlton, U.S. Attorney in Phoenix, said Jeffs will be brought to Arizona or Utah after a removal hearing, though it is not clear which state will have first claim on prosecution.
The indictment against Jeffs in Washington County, Utah, is for rape as an accomplice, a Class 2 felony. He is wanted in Arizona for charges stemming from the arranged marriage of a 16-year-old girl to a married man.
Charlton said federal authorities in the U.S. District Court for Nevada would seek to have Jeffs held without bail.
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the troopers SHOULD receive that money! 
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TexasStooge
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HurricaneBill
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TexasStooge wrote:Me either, until I saw on this morning's news. I though Poligamy was outlawed...guess not!
As far as I know, it is illegal in all 50 states.
I first heard about this guy last year after reading in People Magazine about the "Lost Boys of Utah". I also watched a news special.
I'm so glad they caught this scumbag.
Anyways, here's a link to a news story about the Lost Boys.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1505997,00.html
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azsnowman
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Ptarmigan wrote:azsnowman wrote:What I don't understand is WHY someone would WANT more than ONE wife....one is ENOUGH
Having more than one wife would be a burden.
*shudders at the thought*
Seriously, Warren Jeffs has been on the lam for quite some time. Since he left Colorado City in Northern Az. he moved to somewhere in Texas and has built a community unto himself
It's VERY similar to the compound in Waco Texas that was burned to the ground by the FBI a few years back!
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azsnowman
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Eldorado Texas that's it
email thisprint thisreprint or license thisEldorado hoping for changesBy JACK DOUGLAS JR.
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
STAR-TELEGRAM
MAP: ELDORADO, TXResidents of the small West Texas town of Eldorado said Tuesday that they hope a nearby polygamous religious sect will stop believing in marriages between underage girls and older men following the arrest of the group's leader near Las Vegas.
One official said that little, if anything, has changed in the daily routine within the compound walls of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, four miles from Eldorado, after sect leader Warren Jeffs, 50, was arrested late Monday.
"They're really low-keyed people. If you didn't fly over them, you wouldn't know a soul was there," said Schleicher County Justice of the Peace James Doyle, who flew over the compound Tuesday.
But while it may have not been visible, members of the Texas group seemed upset, said Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran, who informed a "source" within the compound that Jeffs, who was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, was arrested on a federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
"I think this is a major blow to them," Doran said, describing his conversation with his source in the church. "You could tell it was stressful news to him."
The unlawful-flight charge relates to charges in Utah and Arizona accusing Jeffs of arranging marriages between underage girls and older men, tantamount to being an accomplice to rape. If convicted, the religious leader could face life in prison.
Doran said it is the prevailing hope in Eldorado that a "less radical" person becomes the leader of the sect, resulting in a "more open community, where there's not so much mystery surrounding it."
Tami Griffin, manager of Shot's convenience store in Eldorado, agreed. "I'm hoping, maybe, whoever takes over ... will put an end to the adult-child marriages," Griffin said.
But Gloria Belman, cashier at the Star Stop Food Mart, said she is worried that someone more extreme than Jeffs will take over the group. If that happens, she said, "I'm thinking about moving to Midland, me and my three kids."
Sect members took up residence at the 1,671-acre YFZ Ranch, short for "Yearning for Zion," in the summer of 2004, and an estimated 70 people are believed to live there. About 180 additional members are living there temporarily to do construction work; the sect has an estimated 10,000 members nationwide, most of them in Utah and Arizona.
There was evidence that Jeffs was at the Texas compound during the 2005 New Year's weekend for the dedication of a large temple, and had "come and gone" on several occasions after that, said Randy Mankin, publisher and editor of the Eldorado Success weekly newspaper.
email thisprint thisreprint or license thisEldorado hoping for changesBy JACK DOUGLAS JR.
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
STAR-TELEGRAM
MAP: ELDORADO, TXResidents of the small West Texas town of Eldorado said Tuesday that they hope a nearby polygamous religious sect will stop believing in marriages between underage girls and older men following the arrest of the group's leader near Las Vegas.
One official said that little, if anything, has changed in the daily routine within the compound walls of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, four miles from Eldorado, after sect leader Warren Jeffs, 50, was arrested late Monday.
"They're really low-keyed people. If you didn't fly over them, you wouldn't know a soul was there," said Schleicher County Justice of the Peace James Doyle, who flew over the compound Tuesday.
But while it may have not been visible, members of the Texas group seemed upset, said Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran, who informed a "source" within the compound that Jeffs, who was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, was arrested on a federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
"I think this is a major blow to them," Doran said, describing his conversation with his source in the church. "You could tell it was stressful news to him."
The unlawful-flight charge relates to charges in Utah and Arizona accusing Jeffs of arranging marriages between underage girls and older men, tantamount to being an accomplice to rape. If convicted, the religious leader could face life in prison.
Doran said it is the prevailing hope in Eldorado that a "less radical" person becomes the leader of the sect, resulting in a "more open community, where there's not so much mystery surrounding it."
Tami Griffin, manager of Shot's convenience store in Eldorado, agreed. "I'm hoping, maybe, whoever takes over ... will put an end to the adult-child marriages," Griffin said.
But Gloria Belman, cashier at the Star Stop Food Mart, said she is worried that someone more extreme than Jeffs will take over the group. If that happens, she said, "I'm thinking about moving to Midland, me and my three kids."
Sect members took up residence at the 1,671-acre YFZ Ranch, short for "Yearning for Zion," in the summer of 2004, and an estimated 70 people are believed to live there. About 180 additional members are living there temporarily to do construction work; the sect has an estimated 10,000 members nationwide, most of them in Utah and Arizona.
There was evidence that Jeffs was at the Texas compound during the 2005 New Year's weekend for the dedication of a large temple, and had "come and gone" on several occasions after that, said Randy Mankin, publisher and editor of the Eldorado Success weekly newspaper.
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azsnowman
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Here's the link...BTW Stooge, isn't this in your neck of the woods, I mean DFW area?
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/15396415.htm
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/15396415.htm
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azsnowman wrote:Geeesh.....this case just keeps getting more and more bizzare, this scumbag had OVER 30 wives and some 200+ KIDSwhat an IDIOT
I thought he had more like 75 wives and 56 kids? That's what I heard from different sources. I don't see how he is a idiot for having that many wives, it's a part of his religion (FLDS). It's way over the top though.
I only heard this information after he got caught. Before, I could not find out how many wives and kids he had. The most "bizarre" part of this case IMO would be how he was caught. He was eating a salad while pulled over and looked away from the police officer while talking.
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One of his followers who escaped was on Larry King last night. She said all the males and sons work for construction companies and do not get a dime. Their whole paycheck is handed over to him. He said all the wives are on welfare. Now, wouldn't you think the government would have caught on to this? What about a 13 or 14 year old girl applying for welfare with three kids. A little fishy? I suppose all the other mothers just claim those kids as theirs. What about home addresses. Would it seem odd that hundreds or maybe thousands of kids getting welfare live in the same community. Our government dollars at work. No one catches on, thus he is able to make millions a month or more.
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GalvestonDuck
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conestogo_flood
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Polygamist communites are located all through out the United States, Canada and Mexico. I'm glad they caught Warren, I've been following this story for months now. It's really sad what the religion tells the followers, they think everyone not in the religion live in absolute fear, being killed by the thousands everyday, suffering from pain because they sin so much. They aren't allowed to watch TV, listen to music, look at girls that aren't in their family and etc.
I heard so many times that if Warren Jeffs is caught the polygamist community could produce another "Waco". Lets hope that isn't the case.
I heard so many times that if Warren Jeffs is caught the polygamist community could produce another "Waco". Lets hope that isn't the case.
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